Hometown Glory
by xXBeckyFoo
Summary: Through the years, the Weasley/Potter clan have proven to the world their kindness and their magnitude to love. But in every family there are ups and downs. And every generation changes, for better or worse. SEQUEL TO 'HERE WE GO AGAIN'
1. Chart

**Chart for the Fourth Generation **

_**(Sequel to 'Here We Go Again' )**_

Victoire Weasley and Teddy Lupin:

***Glorie Remy Lupin** - 17 year-old; 7th Year Ravenclaw

***Angelique Dora Lupin** - 16 year-old; 6th Year Slytherin

X

Dominique Weasley and Derrick Rowle:

***Dustin Louis Rowle** - 18 year-old; Graduated Gryffindor.

***Devon Victoria Rowle** - 16 year-old; 6th Year Slytherin

X

Coral McLaggen and Louis Weasley:

***Maxim Dominic Weasley** - 16 year-old; 6th Year Gryffindor

***Kendra Flora Weasley** - 14 year-old; 4th Year Ravenclaw

X

Emily Taylor and James Sirius Potter:

***Ginevra Bliss Potter** - 17 year-old; 7th Year Gryffindor

***Orion James Potter** - 15 year-old; 5th Year Gryffindor

***Evan Potter** - 8 year-old; Twin

***Harriet Potter** - 8 year-old; Twin

X

Nia Harper and Albus Severus Potter:

***Alexa Jamie Potter** - 15 year-old; 5th Year Gryffindor; Twin

***Neo Potter** - 15 year-old; 5th Year Gryffindor, Twin.

X

Lily Luna Potter and Liam Greengrass:

***Logan Alec Greengrass** - 15 year-old; 5th Year Gryffindor

***Violet Molly Greengrass** - 13 year-old; 3rd Year Gryffindor

X

Evanna Nott and Freddie Weasley II :

***Riley Angela Weasley** - 16 year-old; 6th Year Slytherin; Twin

***Rory Georgina Weasley** - 16 year-old; 6th Year Gryffindor; Twin

***Theodore Weasley** - 14 year-old; 4th Year Hufflepuff

X

Roxanne Weasley and Lucas Zabini:

***Andres Zabini** - 16 year-old; 6th Year Gryffindor

X

Rose Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy:

***Lynx Malfoy -** 15 year-old; 5th Year Gryffindor

***Athena Ronnie Malfoy** - 14 year-old; 4th Year Ravenclaw

X

Alice Longbottom II and Lysander Scamander:

***Raven Scamander** - 14 year-old; 4th Year Ravenclaw

X

Lucy Weasley and Lorcan Scamander:

***Elinor Scamander** - 13 year-old; 3rd Year Ravenclaw

X

Molly Weasley and Unknown:

***Sidney Free Weasley** - 17 year-old; 7th Year Gryffindor

**Other Characters**

_**(…Yeah, there's more.)**_

***Jet Rowle** - Adopted nephew to Derrick and Dominique; 19 years-old

X**  
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***Zacharias Wood** - Friend to Dustin Rowle; 18 years-old

X**  
><strong>

***Abel Greengrass** - Cousin to Liam Greengrass; 14 year-old; 4th Year Slytherin

X**  
><strong>

***Gregory De La Cruz** - 15 year-old

***Javier De La Cruz** - 14 year-old

* * *

><p><strong> AN: Yep, there's quite a few characters. But hopefully this chart helps. I will try to make it easier in the chapters, as we go along, and not jam pack all of them together and confuse all of you.<strong>


	2. Home Sweet Home

**Hometown Glory **

**Chapter One: **Home Sweet Home

"_Family is just an accident. They don't mean to get on your nerves. They don't even mean to be your family, they just are. " - Marsha Norman_

* * *

><p>A lot of things happened here. Too many, actually. But if there was anything that happened around here and it was going to be remembered—after all, thousands of people have walked the flooring of this place for centuries, and will continue until the ends of time—then that something had to be very memorable. It had to be enthralling, outstanding, shocking, and easily exploited. Everyone knew that. It took more than having a 'Special Merit' badge in the trophy hall to have the upcoming generations know who you are; the stories and legends were built and created among the people, among the houses not the plaques.<p>

That was Hogwarts for you, the greatest Wizarding school ever known to all magical-kind. The place were legends where made, where heroes were created, and stories lived on forever.

It was bewitching on its own, but in that very moment, with more important and secretive things going on every millisecond, the focal point seemed to have landed on a girl seating herself on the Gryffindor house-table.

Passing boys looked at her, a little more than captivated as they shoved one another forward, one after the next trying to get at least an extra second of sight.

So much attention, left and right, would make a person feel extremely uncomfortable, but the girl was now used to it. She had seven years to adjust to the stares, to the longing glances, and the whispers; so she just smiled.

Her emerald eyes were always bright and vivid, so wide and doe-like, a mixture of the past generation and a new, foreign one. They showed her kindness and compassion, and a little something hidden that no one could ever figure out. Her smile was captivating, obviously, the way her red lips stretched beautifully. Her skin a pale white, rosy cheeks, and a button-like nose. Lean and curvy, with dark waves cascading down her waist. She was always the most beautiful sight to see.

"Good morning, Miss Potter," one of the passing students mumbled to her, shy and shaky.

"Hello," the witch replied politely, a smile on her face still.

And just as the group of Third Years flushed and scurried away from the interaction, someone threw a rolled napkin in their direction. "For heavens sake, how pathetic is that?" Laughing mockingly, Alexa turned towards the girl next to her. "I wonder what would happen if you threw your used loo-paper in their direction. Do you think they would duel to the death for it?"

"_Alexa_!" Bliss looked instantly horrified, flushing at the crudeness of her cousin's remark.

But the girl continued to snicker hysterically, her blue-eyes looking maleficent. "There, there, Bliss, it's not your fault. Blokes would do anything for girls they fancy, that and more."

"—And she really doesn't help the situation, bet she loves the attention."

Looking up as someone budded-in to their conversation, the two witches rolled their eyes in annoyance at the two boys approaching. One of them looking especially ticked. "Of course she does, walking around the castle in her bloody towel. "

"Oh, right. I remember that," Lynx Malfoy commented casually, as the boy next time him scowled at Bliss. "Caused a riot when rumor got out. It was like an instant stampede."

"Not this again, please." Bliss sighed.

"Oh, now you're ashamed?" Orion retorted, Lynx adding agreeing comments next to him. "Well, where was that shame when _I _had to endure days of nasty gits talking about my sister like she was some…some..."

"Do not even continue that," Alexa warned in a sing-song voice, smiling wickedly as Bliss frowned and a new coming group came towards them.

Slapping Orion hard on the back, Alexa's twin brother smiled at all of them in greeting as the others positioned themselves across from the girls. "Oi, what's up?" Neo ruffled his cousin's hair, looking carefree and relaxed.

"Orion's upset over the towel thing again," Alexa replied to her brother. "Even though it's been over a year now."

"I remember that." Chewing loudly, bits of egg flying out of his mouth, Maxim Weasley looked at his family. "Didn't someone steal her clothes from the Prefects bathroom? That's why she was in the towel?"

Smirking wildly, Lynx nodded, elbowing Logan Greengrass on the ribs as the latter shook his head. "Yeah, I heard that they hung up her bra like a shrine in a Hufflepuff dormitory."

"And her underwear is somewhere in Ravenclaw Tower," Logan continued for his cousin, both of them looking teasing. "Oh, and her socks? Being sniffed by some perverted unknown student living in the Room of Requirements."

But before her brother could let out an outraged remark, Bliss cut in. "They stole my clothes, Orion! What do you want me to do?"

"—Leave."

"—Disappear."

"—Live on Polyjuice Potion."

"—Say you've been a bloke all along."

"—Wear the Invisibility Cloak."

Bliss narrowed her eyes at all the remarks tossed at her by her cousins and brother; Alexa joining her as she grunted a curse. "Honestly, just because no one finds none of you idiots attractive," Alexa spoke again. "Maybe all of _you _should vanish, you'll do the family a favor."

"Please." Standing up from the quick seat he had taken on the table, Andres Zabini snorted at his relative. "If anything, _I _have prettied this family up."

"—I don't think so."

"—Please."

"—Do you own a mirror."

"—I'm the one with veela blood here."

"—Ugly prat."

Andrew glared. "Whatever." He flipped them the finger, grabbing his schoolbag and heading out the Great Hall; signaling the others to follow behind him, all the boys leaving in a flash of ruby and gold ties.

"Remember we need to meet an hour before curfew!" Alexa shouted at them.

And as the boys moved so smoothly through the other students, everyone parting for them like they were all little Merlins or royalty, adding to their cockiness, two tall witches came into view. The blonde following after the other with a fury written on her expression.

"I'm talking to you!" Before the nonchalant girl could head to the table represented by silver and emerald, Glorie Lupin managed to grip her arm; turning her around. "Don't you walk away from me."

The Slytherin witch narrowed her eyes, the color of them a dark black as the blonde girl continued to hold on to her arm with anger.

"Don't you have any respect for privacy—or any respect in general?" Glorie huffed, her fury not withering. "Give it back to me, Angelique."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Angelique replied simply, flicking her eyes on her arm and back to the blonde. "Let go of me now."

But Glorie did not budge, she took a step closer to the Slytherin. Her anger was at a higher level than what was accustomed for the neutral Ravenclaws. "Give it to me," she repeated, her blue eyes igniting. "Now, Angelique."

Growing tired of it fast, Angelique pushed the blonde's hold away from her, her black eyes lighting into a fiery red and making Glorie take that step back. So easily spooked by the Sixth Year. "I think you're losing your mind, sister, I haven't anything of yours."

"Angelique—" But the latter was now heading towards her fellow Slytherins, holding her schoolbag especially close to her; a little smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth as her older sister looked ready to explode. "_Ugh_!"

"…Yeah, that can't end well," Alexa commented in a soft whisper as she and Bliss rose from their seats; already set to go after their cousin stalking off towards the exit with infuriated tears accumulating in her eyes. "And we can already guess who will win that round, and it won't be pretty."

Bliss sighed, nodding in agreement as she adjusted the strap of her bag. "Well, I have Charms with Glorie next, I'll talk to her then. See what the problem is. Can you talk to Angelique?"

Alexa raised her eyebrow at her cousin, giving her an are-you-nuts look; scoffing too. "And face Angelique's wrath? No, no. I rather see this play out, I'm not about to lose an eyeball for Glorie. I don't like mixing in family-affairs."

"But they're _our _family, Alex," Bliss commented, stopping for a split second before they took their departing ways. "Besides, you can expect loads of complaining and whining from Glorie's part until she gets whatever it is Angelique took. And you know we will be the ones she'll be coming to."

"We can hide," Alexa offered.

The Seventh Year Gryffindor shook her waves, not convinced. "Come on, Alex, you know she can get her way into the Gryffindor Tower. This will be unavoidable."

The other Potter girl looked calculating for a second, debating among herself on what was right and what would not involve her. "_Damnit_!" She cursed. "Alright, I'll talk to Angelique. But if I end up butchered and hanging from the Astronomy by my knickers, I _will _retell the towel story next holiday; expect an infuriated and disgraced Uncle James ."

And with that threat and blackmail being said, Bliss and Alexa Potter headed towards their class. Enough drama to start off a morning, but expected nonetheless with the amount of relatives running around loose.

**X**

The bell had rung not long ago, signaling the second to last lesson before the actual school-day was over with. And exiting the selected area for Care of Magical Creatures, a witch walked by herself towards the hill overlooking the Black Lake; spotting someone already standing at the peak of it.

She was a redhead, that someone, standing with her arms extended out in a horizontal direction. The wind was blowing through her hair, sending every strand of hair flowing backwards; making it seem like a wave of fire was exhaling from that hill. Her eyes were shut, and she swayed along with the rhythm of the air and leaves.

She looked eerie, with the way she took over that hilltop, but as that lonesome girl got closer to the redhead, she already knew that it was more than that. It was always more than that with her. Some chemicals gone wrong, some _extra _chemicals gone wrong in her bloodstream.

"Have you ever felt free?" The redhead spoke, her ears perking up as she heard the other girl's shoes crackle the leaves on the grass. "Like loose?"

"Um, no." Kendra Weasley replied in an unsure way, clearing her throat uncomfortably as she lowered her schoolbag on the grass. "…Are you okay?"

In an instant, the redhead opened her eyes. A dark coal-like color coming to light. "Never better, little Kenny."

But at the sweet tone in the girl's voice, Kendra did not smile, did not feel warm nor welcomed. Instead she tried not to raise her eyebrow or look even more uncomfortable.

"You and I, Kenny, we're alike in too many ways." Devon Weasley smiled at her Uncle Louis' daughter, her essence giving off a fictional-feel. "Did you ever realize that?"

Kendra was not flattered, she felt a little dread at what was going to come out of her cousin's mouth next.

Devon smirked, well aware of that uneasiness in Kendra's body. "We look exactly the same, that's how we are alike," she told her, eased and soft. "Red hair, freckles, veela-blood, and same birthmark inherited from the Delacour side, but…" She smiled a little more, deciding to leave it off there as a few familiar faces started approaching them.

"I'm exhausted!" Thud. "I am never, _ever_, going to break curfew again, I swear it. That slave-work that Filch made me do, not even Grandmum Molly when she's mad!"

Dropping her bag next to where Kendra left hers, Elinor Scamander rolled her eyes at the girl who laid herself facedown on the grass. "You said that last year, Vi."

The girl rolled over, blades of grass stuck to her sweaty forehead. "Like you said you'd have a boyfriend by our Third Year, and I still have faith in you." Violet picked her neck up, stretching to see the blonde Ravenclaw. "Because that's what good friends do."

Elinor turned pink, scowling. "Well, then. Luckily we are cousins, and not friends."

"Alright, you two, settle down now. Don't go about handing each other your best friend charms back." Snickering as she also took a seat on the grass, Athena Malfoy looked up at her cousins playfully.

Leaning against the only tree on the hill, watching as the girls sat down, some leaning on others, Theodore Weasley shook his head to himself. "_Women," _he clucked his tongue after his whisper. He knew specifically never to anger them with your opinion on how think their entire gender is mad and emotionally unstable, especially the women in his family.

"So, Vi, quickly before the rest of the lot gets here, how's Abel adjusting to his new life in Britain?" Elinor asked, forgetting her anger towards the youngest of the Greengrass'.

Laying her head carefully on Devon's lap, Violet looked towards the sky as she thought about her cousin, the newest addition to the Greengrass family. Not really noticing when Kendra leaned a little closer to her, her attention on full blast. "He's taking it day by day, you know? His parents have been dead for a few months, he's still in mourning."

"Mum told me Lily says it was for the best." Everyone looked at Theodore with an outraged looked. "That she and Liam decided to take Abel in," the Hufflepuff explained himself further. "Because the Greengrass' aren't the most loving of families."

Violet sighed. "Yeah, Dad's family are total gits." And luckily for her and Logan's sake, they didn't interact with that side. They were all pompous, old-fashioned people. (And there was no place for those types of people in the Weasley/Potter clan.) "But Abel does look happier, even if he was left an orphan. A healthy home, happy heart, right?"

Theodore and Athena shared a quick look. (Not in their family, that was certain.)

"—_Ow_, what is your problem!"

"You are, now move!"Coming up the hill, Dustin Rowle pushed a redhead towards the rest of the people waiting by the tree. Her carbon-copy walked behind them, looking worried for the two as they both became more aggravated by the passing millisecond.

Being pushed one final time, Riley turned on her heels to smack Dustin on the chest. "I do believe this is some sort of harassment, Rowle," she snapped. "You can't physically attack a student—especially a _girl _for that matter."

"You're hardly a girl," Dustin spat, fixing his robes as he glared at his cousin. "But go right on ahead, report me to the Headmaster. I assure you, with your temper and attitude, he'll wonder why I didn't curse you."

Theodore chuckled by the tree, and Riley turned her head towards him. She gave him her nastiest glare. "Little brother," she said coolly in greeting.

"Can - Can we, um, just get this over with?" Rory asked hesitantly, looking nervous as her twin started tapping her foot impatiently. She was growing afraid that the redhead was about to combust and murder everyone around her.

But just as Dustin was about to open his mouth, agreeing with Riley's tolerable, nice, duplicate, Riley raised an eyebrow as she spotted a figure down the hill trying to walk past them incognito. Trying to make her way so fast and undetected, sparing herself from something Riley was not able to get out of. "Sidney!"

The Gryffindor feet away stopped, gritting her teeth at her rotten luck. She slowly picked her head up, pulling her red hair away from her face and behind her ears at all the faces she was trying to avoid. "…Hey."

Riley smiled too sweetly, adjusting her Slytherin-tie carefully. "Did you miss the memo, cousin? We're having a family meeting."

Sidney Weasley cleared her throat, looking down at her watch. "Um, yeah, I can't stay. I have a meeting with the Headmaster - I'll just have someone catch me up later."

Dustin sighed, annoyed. "Get up here, Sid," he ordered the redhead, crossing his arms in frustration. "It'll only take a few minutes."

"What's so important, Dust?" Devon asked her brother, tilting her head to a side; her eyes looking glazed over. "And where are the others?"

Dustin scoffed at her. "Are you mental? If I told all of you together it would take all day, and I don't have time to waste, alright?"

"Then get on with it!" Riley retorted.

The older boy took a deep breath, remembering that he was in fact an aid for the professors in the school, and that one bad move could cost him his future career. "I got a letter from Uncle Ron in the morning, wanting me to tell all the lot of something that's recently happened back home."

Athena's eyes opened instantly, whatever relaxed feeling in her body leaving. "Is it my Gran?" She asked instantly. "Is it my Grandmother Hermione? Is she sick again? I thought Angelina was looking after her. She said she was better and—"

"No, no, 'Thena, it wasn't about Hermione. She's alright, okay," Dustin interrupted the frantic Ravenclaw. "The letter was about the announcement that your parents are renewing their marriage-bond next week."

Athena's worry was replaced with excitement, clapping her hands cheerfully as the girls squealed with her.

"—How cute!"

"—That's adorable!"

"—Yeah, Scorpius always outdoes himself, doesn't he?"

"—_Ugh._"

"—Oh, Riley, it's romantic!"

"What does this exactly mean to us?" Cutting across the witches, Theodore raised a hand to get the attention to him. "What's going to happen now?"

At all the comments coming in every angle, Dustin was really glad he had decided to split the meeting; there was just too bloody much of them. "Simple," he began, voice calm and low to make sure every one of them was giving him their undivided attention. Almost like if he was revealing to them his darkest secret in a murmur. "Go back to your dormitories and pack your trunks, mates. We're going home."

And may Merlin have mercy on them then.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, here we go again! Lol. Another attempt to this sequel, and I hope all of you enjoy it.<strong>

**Thank you so much for always reading my stories, and demanding that I redo this one. It makes me feel fussy and warm that you all looked the last installment that much.**

**XOXO.**


	3. Of Love Or Family

**Hometown Glory**

**Chapter Two: **Of Love Or Family

"_The great advantage of living in a large family is that early lesson of life's essential unfairness." - Nancy Mitford_

* * *

><p>People usually say that when someone smiles the biggest and frequently, it's most likely they're the forced ones. That the more someone always appears to be on top of the world, it's probable that they're holding on by a string; same goes if their eyes are the brightest, most likely they shed tears when no one is looking.<p>

But do people honestly believe that? When they see that someone has it all, do they ever think that person's broken inside?

No, they don't.

That's why people continue on with their lives, because no one will ever truly stop and ask you with the most sincerity how you are. They don't necessarily care. It's not until someone finds you crying in a corner, it's not until someone notices that you're getting quieter and quieter as the days progress when they ask. But if you're not caught, no one sees anything.

So if you continued to pull on that smile, hold in all of your emotions, and laughed along when everyone did, you were invisibly seen. Safe and secluded. People would still continue to think that your life was going smoothly, happy as a clam.

And sometimes, that was the biggest lie to keep alive. Bliss Potter knew this too well, she was the phoniest of them all.

"I'm just saying that bloody woman needs to stop running my life!"

"She's your mother."

"I'm almost thirty-seven years-old, woman!"

With a clearing of her throat, looking away from the endless view outside the small kitchen window where her mind ran for miles to her hidden secrets, Bliss turned around as she heard those familiar voices; one quarreling as ever, and the other collected.

"_You_." Hazel-eyes glared at her.

Bliss raised an eyebrow at the accusing finger that was being pointed at her now.

With anger still taking over his facial expression, James Potter took a scowling step towards his eldest child. "You were supposed to wait for us in the Headmaster's office, Ginevra Bliss Potter."

Bliss looked a little confused. "But…But I told mum Grandmum Ginny was coming for Alexa and I. I didn't think it would be a problem."

"Of course it's a problem!" James snapped again, the woman behind him sighing with a shake of her head. "We are your parents, not that…_woman_." His daughter opened her mouth to say something, but he cut in before the first word slipped out. "You were supposed to go straight home, Bliss, and instead I find out that you decided to have a sleepover here."

Bliss stilled looked puzzled, not really knowing if she was being punished or just enduring her dad's attempt at parenting. "So, are you mad at me or at Gran?"

"Both!"

With a _clink, clink, clink _of her heels, Mrs. Potter walked towards her daughter and away from her husband. "Alright, James, that's enough. It's too early to be screaming, even for you." Emily smiled gently at her daughter, taking her face with her palms with the same softness in which she stared at her. "We were just hoping we would see you yesterday, sweetie, but it's fine."

"It's not!" James scoffed again.

Emily turned to him, an arm snaked around her daughter's waist. "It's the Burrow, James, what are you so mad at?"

"That that woman keeps meddling in my parenting!" James continued with his rant. "I told her specifically, right when Malfoy announced his ruddy plans to get the children out of school, that she better not have any ideas involving her grandchildren. _My _kids were going to come home, where _you and I _live, not anywhere she pleases."

Bliss exhaled, shaking her head just like her mother had. "But, Dad, the Burrow is home," she offered. "Just like Godric's Hallow, Shell Cottage, Malfoy Manor, and even Uncle George's shop."

James took a step back, a hand over his heart dramatically. "Look at that, Em, she keeps breaking her daddy's heart."

The two dark-haired witches scoffed, rolling their green-eyes.

And just before James could interfere again, ranting about his mother and how no one respects him, Bliss was tackled on her right side; almost knocked on the ground when little arms starting pulling on her floral dress.

"—Bliss!"

Feeling a jolt of some sort of happiness, Bliss felt like the smile on her face, in that moment, was not forced or a charade. She honestly felt a flicker of delight when she found two pairs of brown-eyes blinking up at her. Eyes that she hadn't seen in months. "Oi, easy there, you two. You're going to break me." She laughed.

"I do believe you owe me a few sickles." Coming in from the back door of the kitchen, where the two little bodies that were attacking Bliss with hugs, Orion frowned at his parents. "They ran to the ol' Lovegood place - _ran," _he emphasized. "What the bloody hell have you been feeding them? I ran out of breath before I even left the ending-gate of the Burrow."

Emily looked at her son calmly. "You're in charge of them today, Orion."

"Oi!" Letting go of Bliss' leg, a small dark-haired boy frowned at Mrs. Potter. "We're not dogs, Mum. We can take care of ourselves."

"Yeah!" And appearing after him, an identical girl threw the same frown. "We're grown-up now, we're eight."

Orion smirked. "You see, Mum? Harriet and Evan are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. They're eight." His smirked got bigger. "So, if you excuse me, I'm going to try to open Uncle George's old room now."

"You attempt that every year," Evan told his brother. "You fail miserably all the time."

Just as her eldest son was about to smack the youngest one, Emily put a steady hand on Evan's skinny shoulder. "Orion, you're in charge of them today while your father and I go to work."

The fifteen year-old boy gaped indignantly. "Mum, come on! That's not fair, Bliss is the girl, she should take care of them! 'Sides, Logan, Neo and I are going with Granddad Harry on a Potter-men adventure!"

"Oh, can I go?" Evan asked excitedly. "I'm a Potter boy!"

"No," Orion snapped. "No little kid brothers allowed, Evan." He ignored the boy as he pouted and turned to his mother again. "Why can't Dad take care of the monsters? He doesn't even work!"

"I'm my own boss, boy." _Smack_. "I take days off whenever I please, and today is not one of them."

Emily rolled her eyes, watching as Orion scowled at his father after the hit he gave him beside the head. "I'll make you a deal, Orion. If you can find someone _capable _of taking care of the twins, then you can go with your grandfather and cousin. If not, you're stuck babysitting."

Harriet grinned as her older brother glared still. "That's what you get for causing that fire."

"Fire?" Bliss chimed in, picking up the little redhead girl like if she was still a toddler. "You finally told Mum about that fire the Headmaster almost expelled you for?"

James shook his head in the background as his oldest son widened his eyes, both of them looking at her like she just told the secret of Life to Death.

Looking between her children and her husband, Emily started piecing things together quickly. "Wait, that's what the meeting with the Headmaster was for?" She turned to James, an expression on her face that resembled one Ginny Potter wore when she was angered. "You told me, James, that he just wanted to show Orion's progress."

"He caused Hogwarts' best prank since Dad was at school, that's progress, right?" Evan commented, repeating the same thing he had heard George Weasley gloat with some customer when the rumor got out.

"Oi, Harry, Great-Granddad Arthur's got a baby unicorn in the shed!"

"_Oooh_!"

And as soon as the little girl jumped out of Bliss' arms and charged towards the backdoor, Orion took off after her before his mother could react. "Oh, would you look at that! The monster's loose, got to go. See you, Mum!"

Emily frowned at James, crossing her arms expectantly as her son fled.

"I'm going…I'll just go help him." And James Potter went after his children, little Evan running behind him.

Mrs. Potter sighed in surrender. "What to do with them, huh?"

Bliss squeezed her mother's shoulder. "It's alright, Mum, you know they don't mean harm. It's just who they are. You can blame great-Granddad Potter for that, he passed it down the Potter generations."

The elder witch smiled grandly at her daughter, cupping her cheek again gently. "I'm glad I don't ever have to worry about you, Bliss. That's less pressure on my shoulders."

Bliss' felt her chest hurt automatically.

"Well, I better be on my way," Emily said, looking down at her watch. "See you in the night, darling."

With a _crack _that echoed off the old walls of the Burrow, Bliss felt tears sting her eyes as her mother disappeared.

Of course everyone thought she was alright, no one ever bothered to think that maybe she was dying inside.

**X **

"—This is unfair!"

"—You're asking for too much here."

"—I'm not a house-elf!"

"—No, no. I am not doing this!"

Standing tall and mighty, a frown on her face that had been passed from generation of bad-tempered women, Rose Weasley crossed her arms over her chest as her family started complaining. All of them throwing glares, curses, and whines at her from the pieces of parchment she had given each one of them.

"Flower-patterns?" Shaking his head and speaking up with a huff, not really noticing like the others that bitching was not going to get them anywhere, Al Potter stretched his hand out to his cousin; trying to give her back the paper. "Yeah, I'm not much of a flower-pattern type of bloke, Rose. Find a girl to do that."

As Rose glared, a blonde women standing next to Al looked instantly offended. "Prat,"she snapped, reaching over and smacking him on the head. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You lot are acting like I'm asking you to do everything without your wands," Rose interjected before Al and his wife could get into an argument. "Besides, you're all separated into groups so you can help each other out. This is not complicated, people, use your brains!"

"—No, now she's being rude about it."

"—Oi, we are trying to help you here!"

"—Out of the goodness of our hearts."

"—Do we look like wedding-planners?"

"—I'm hurt, deeply hurt now."

"Alright, that's enough!" Entering from the kitchen, drying a pot by hand with an old rag, elderly Molly Weasley stared at everyone with a firm expression. "This is a very important celebration for Rose and Scorpius, and being family-centered as they are, they want all of you to help with something that means a lot to them. Now, as family, shut it and make yourselves useful."

And once Mrs. Weasley spoke, the room fell silent. No one daring to defy her, ever.

"I know a bit about floral-patterns, Potter, perhaps I can help," Louis offered politely, stepping away from the elderly witch, seeing as he was closer to her and her wand. "Oi, what? Coral likes to decorate the house often, she drags me to these designer exhibitions," he added as Al gave him a questioning stare.

"Get to it now, come on," Mrs. Weasley added, motioning for them to get a move on and get out of her living room.

One by one, the family starting exiting out the door. Some of them hurriedly, others upset and grumbling still in a low tone, and others indifferent about everything.

"Now I know why James decided to work today, he must've known we were going to get bombarded with wedding preparations," Louis mumbled to Al, the latter nodding in agreement as they shut the door behind them.

Sitting on a couch, patiently waiting until someone gave her something to do, Bliss looked over to the person sitting next to her reading the newspaper. She looked at him with something in her eyes, almost like she was begging for him to turn around. There was a confession sparkling in her green eyes, and she wanted him to see it. He had always understood her, and he knew so much.

She just wanted to be heard, desperately.

"Alright, Bliss, this is your assignment—" Interrupting her from her mental-debate with herself, Rose extended a giant, lacy album towards her cousin's daughter. "Invitation decorations, can you handle that?"

Bliss nodded solemnly as she took the book, letting one of her usual smiles take over her face. "Of course, Rose."

Her smile deflated instantly as the redheaded woman turned to another little redhead on the armchair. "Violet, guest list. Can you do it?"

Violet Greengrass scoffed. "I think I can write names down on paper."

"That's the spirit." Rose laughed at Lily's daughter, reaching over and ruffling her hair jokingly.

Sparing one last look at the man sitting next to her, Bliss gave a silent sigh as he flipped the page and did not turn still. She picked herself off the couch and headed towards the center-table in the living room, placing the album on the surface and kneeling down to get a proper look at it.

"Bliss?" But just as she thought all hope was lost and she was going to spend the next hour of her life looking through possible options for invitations, she felt a warm palm on her shoulder.

She turned, a flash of optimism running in her veins as silver eyes blinked down at her.

"This page seemed to have fallen out, darling, here you are," Scorpius told her, handing her the page of the album back.

Bliss swallowed a lump of disappointment, her smile reappearing. This time much bigger and faker. "Thanks, Godfather."

Scorpius leaned back against the couch, shaking the day's edition of the _Daily Prophet_. "How are things going in school, Bliss? You haven't wrote to me much this semester."

"There's been a lot of exams and all that," Bliss replied politely, looking down at the pages full of something she particularly didn't care for. "I've been fairly busy, I'm sorry."

A snort came from the background. "Yeah, _really _busy."

Looking up from the things they were doing, Rose, Scorpius and Bliss stared at Violet.

"…What?" The girl responded a little awkwardly. "I mean, I haven't seen her around much, and she's always surrounded by all those boys."

"Ah, so you have a boyfriend?" Rose asked, too gleefully for Bliss' liking when she turned her brown eyes at her. She grinned widely like this was the greatest thing to happen since her marriage-bond renewal plans. "Let's hear it, who is it?"

Aiming a secretive glare at Violet, Bliss shook her head, turning the page casually of her assignment. "There's no one."

Her Aunt Lily's daughter snorted again, a mocking laughter following it. "_Lies_."

"Oh, come off it, Bliss," Rose pressured the girl. "I promise I won't tell James if that's what's worrying you." Scorpius frowned in the background, forgetting all about his paper. "And you can ignore your overprotective Godfather too," Rose added, rolling her eyes at her husband. "Now, tell me. Oh, I bet he's a Gryffindor, right?"

Bliss shook her dark hair. "No."

"A Ravenclaw?" Rose went on. "You're a brilliant girl, dear, I'm sure you're dating someone just as clever."

"No," the seventeen year-old witch replied again, her heart falling. "He…There isn't anyone, Rose, honestly."

But just in that moment, in that moment that she felt like she had rather been invisible, a sound echoed off the walls of the Burrow. A sound she was so used to, but the person it had brought was someone she would have never guessed.

"Oi!"

Having had surprised Violet, the person who had just apparated in smiled handsomely at her; apologizing quickly. "Sorry I'm late, work was intense today."

Bliss swore her heart stopped beating.

"Oh, you shouldn't have worried about that today." Rose shook her head, looking parental as she stood from her chair. "I understand you had to work, dear, just come back when you're nice and rested."

The man shook his head. "I'm good, I want to help."

Rose smiled at him softly. "You can help the girls, then. Scorpius and I better be off, he has a fitting with Madame Malkins."

Mister Malfoy groaned, ruffling the paper as he stood.

"I'll go with you two, Rose, if you're going to the others. There's a few names on the previous list that I want to run over with mum. Make sure none of them are dead and all," Violet said, standing from the armchair and heading towards the backdoor.

"Alright, just help Bliss then," Rose told the recently-arrived man, waving a quick goodbye as she followed after her husband.

There was a sigh in the air, the sound of breathing and it was not coming from Bliss.

"…Hey."

She looked up, and in that second she knew she had been mistaken. Her heart was still there, still beating, and aching like the deepest wound as she found a pair of dark-eyes she thought she would never see again.

"Hello." She managed to breathe out after a few seconds, wondering where the hell it had come from because her mouth was dry and her throat had another lump.

He walked towards her opposite side, kneeling causally as he eyed the album carefully. There was something so casual to the way he moved that it instantly made Bliss angry, made her hurt even more. "Invitations, eh? The torture."

She said nothing, flipping the page as she skimmed through the ugliest designs.

"Any candidates so far?" He asked.

She shook her head, focusing at a section of floral-looking invitations like if her life depended on it.

"I'm absolute rubbish at this, so I might not be much help."

She flipped the page, shrugging.

"…How you've been, Bliss?" Again, he radiated out the essence of casualness.

She tightened her lips into a line, and said nothing once more.

"You're leaving Hogwarts soon, that must be exiting."

Not being able to take it anymore, she looked up with the courage in her blood. She stared into those dark-eyes like it wasn't killing her. Those damned eyes that belonged to Jet Rowle. "Are we talking now?" She asked through that lump. "I wasn't aware."

Jet pulled himself a few inches away from the center-table. "Sorry?"

"I mean, you said - you said we weren't friends, so I'm just wondering where this random conversation is coming from."

Jet rose an eyebrow, a little surprised at the fierceness in the girl's tone. "You're the one who decided to stop talking to me, remember, Ginevra?"

Bliss paused in her small moment of anger, inhaling in.

"You do remember," he stated, still giving her an off stare. "That's why the silence?"

_Crash. _

Bliss pushed herself back too, hearing her memories play loudly inside her head.

_Crash. _

'_You're a coward!'_

_There was a girl in a corner of a kitchen, hiding. Her palms were covering her ears at the words being yelled at her. 'Shut up, shut up.'_

_He approached a little closer, knocking a chair out of the way; making it fall on the ground where broken dishes laid. 'Yes, you are! You're a bloody _coward_!'_

'_You - You just don't understand!' She yelled back at him, tears racing so fast down her cheeks. 'This isn't about me, this isn't about you!'_

'_Then what is it about, Bliss!' He retorted back, an almost hysterical laughter following it. 'I thought that this relationship had to involve us, seeing as it's between us!'_

_Bliss' lip trembled, and she shook her head at him again. 'This is…This is much bigger than us, Jet.. Our friendship - I just can't.'_

_He stopped for a second, breathing in heavily as he glared at her. '…Why?' He whispered harshly. 'Because of your daddy, Bliss? Because you don't want him to disown you for our…_friendship_? Because you're too much of a coward to face up to it, even when you're already considered an adult?'_

'_This isn't about him!' Bliss snapped from her corner, her cheeks turning red. '…It's about loyalty.' But as quickly as her anger had gotten there, it went flying out the window as a set of new tears washed over her. 'About blood being thicker than water.'_

_Jet stared, his glare gone, but his eyes shone with something else. 'This is it, then.' But it hadn't been a question, he already knew the answer. And seeing as one wasn't even going to come, that there would be no further explanation he nodded once at her. '..I think you should leave, Bliss. Dominique will be home soon, just go.'_

_And she had left, with a broken heart that would follow her from then on._

"…I miss you."

Trying to contain the tears that the memory had sparked, Bliss looked up at Rex again. The same courage running through her blood, because staring into his eyes was a challenge. "Don't, Jet. _Please_."

But not taking her plead into consideration, Jet was already stretching his hand out towards her. He wanted her to take it. He wanted to touch her. "I need you." He wanted her. He always wanted her. "Tell me you need me back, Bliss."

At the sound of his voice, so soft and broken like hers, Bliss stared at him again with a heavy heart. But she stretched towards him, giving him her hand. Their palms clutching together, with so much strength, with so much desperation and familiarity. "..I love you," she said to him, tears falling on the album of invitations. "Always."

Taking that as all he needed, Jet pulled on her arm. He brought her as close as the table in between them would allow. He took one of her cheeks hurriedly, and then did what he had been dying for months to do again.

He kissed her.

There was so much need, so much want, so much love, and so much hurt. And as their lips moved together, so many memories seemed to be flying around them. Of all those times they shared secret kisses, of all those moments alone, of all those things that no one knew but them. Everything beautiful he had ever known; the greatest feeling she had ever experienced.

"—Well, you two are so hardworking."

And it all had slipped away as quick as it came, just like before.

Pulling herself away from Jet, Bliss could feel her veins pump ice instead of blood, feeling so cold inside as angry hazel-eyes frowned at her. "…Riley."

"Yeah, that's right, Bliss. Riley - your _family_." Standing at the exit of the kitchen, a fury radiating as red as her hair, Riley Weasley stared between the two estranged lovers. "Your cousin. The girl you promised you would stop these little…interactions with Rowle, remember?"

"It - It isn't how it looks like," Bliss offered, now far away from the table and not sparing Jet any look. "I promise."

"I don't believe you!" Riley hissed, now stepping closer to the two. "You knew how I felt about this, Bliss. And you promised you wouldn't be with him, you promised me. Instead you broke my heart, just like he did."

As the redhead turned to him, evil in her eyes, Jet stood from the floor; giving her the same expression in return. "I never broke your heart, Riley," his tone was deadly. "You'd have to own one in order for me to break it."

Riley gritted her teeth, ready to unleash her venom but instead her ears perked up and heard noises approaching. The backdoor of the kitchen opened, her revenge coming steadily.

Walking into the living room, being pushed a few steps by Louis and Freddie, who had dragged him from his home to help with the wedding-plans, already knowing that he was not going to be working, James Potter's smiled faded as he noticed his daughter. "Bliss, are you alright, darling?"

Bliss nodded once at her father, her panic inflating as she wiped her tears away. Half of her family was now bunched together behind her father and his cousins, all waiting to make their way in. "…Never better."

It was a lie, everyone knew that. "Aw, that's not true, Bliss. You should be honest with the family." And if they did not get it, Riley would explain further. "Be honest for once. Then you'd feel loads better."

Bliss' bottom lip trembled, and she threw her cousin a pleading gaze not to continue.

"I'll tell them then." But Riley pretended not to see it, so she turned in a angle to face her family. Getting a perfect look of all of them. "You see, Bliss is crying because I just caught her in her lie." Hell have no fury like a woman scorn, and definitely if she was a Weasley. "She's been dating Jet behind everyone's back. Hiding, sneaking about like they were too ashamed of their…_love_."

Silence, and a puff of strangling air Bliss gave in the background.

"And as well she should be," Riley continued like she was telling a tale. "Because I was dating Rowle first, but she slithered him right from under me." (You always had to sacrifice something to get something in return, so no embarrassment crossed her in that moment.) "She felt no compassion for me, even when I cried."

"Oh, shut up." Making himself heard for the first time, Jet aimed his frown at the redhead and everyone who was looking at him like he was the devil. "You and I were never dating, you had a bloody obsession to get me to notice you."

Riley snapped her mouth closed, glaring.

"And it didn't work, I was never interested." And Rex continued, playing her game. "Want to know why? Because you're _vile_, Riley. Because you already knew how I felt for her, and how she felt for me, but you twisted her head. You made her believe something that wasn't there, and she loved you too much to be with me."

There was a pause, and Bliss shut her eyes, not wanting to see, not wanting to hear. She could already feel the stare of disappointment her father was giving her, the way the others were judging her. She just wanted to disappear, and forever.

"…Maybe that's what you needed to hear." His anger was gone, and defeat had taken over. "She loves _you _more than she loves me, Riley."

The redhead crossed her arms, her fury burning like flames inside her chest. It was safe to say she did not care. She was pissed, and she wanted to murder both of them then and there.

Jet looked up at some of the relatives that composed Bliss' giant family, something broken in his eyes. That same glitter of something unexplainable some of them recognized that shone in Bliss' eyes too. "Well there you have it, the truth," he spoke to them now. "She loves all of you too much, more than herself and her happiness."

_Crack._

Bliss opened her eyes at that familiar sound, and like a twist to déjà vu, he was gone. Gone again. Her heart broke into pieces again, and she put her head down. More tears falling because he had left, because he had been right.

She'd sacrificed everything for all of them, even the love of her life. And she knew that having him would hurt Riley, so she let him go. Even if she had to live in heartbreak, but she dealt with it. Just like she was going to have to deal with the disappointed stare her father was giving her.

Now she wasn't invisible, they saw her hurt and scars.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Woot. 2nd chapter to this story! :D. Yay! I got my inspiration back for this, lol.<strong>

**I just hope it isn't so confusing for all of you, so I'll give you all points to make it easier.**

**1. Jet is NOT related to them.**

**2. Violet is Lily's daughter.**

**3. And, um, I think that's it?**

**:D**


	4. Witches and MuggleFairytales

**Hometown Glory**

**Chapter Three: **Witches and Muggle-Fairytales

"_Sisters are different flowers from the same garden." - Author Unknown_

* * *

><p>She was staring into the old dusty mirror, staring intently at her reflection like if she was waiting for something to happen. For something to change.<p>

And maybe she was.

She was staring at her mousy-brown hair, so plain and there. Not really sure where she got that trait from, her mother was a true blonde after all; just like everyone from the Delacour side. And her father? Well, she wasn't sure what his natural color was, he never really liked to explain how much of him he altered every day. She just knows that as the years have gone by, his turquoise-colored hair has gradually faded into a black color.

She moved past the nose, the mouth, and the skin color, it was all the same like everyone else in her massive family. (Same small nose, same red-like lips, and pale skin with a few freckles.) There was nothing special about her or her features, except her eyes.

Ever since she was a little girl she had the ability to alter her eye color, a little gift from her father's Metamorphmagus genes. The only thing she was able to change as she wished, everything else was a little more complex. (She had _some _control over her hair, but she always got exhausted trying to change it to a different shade. She always just managed faint highlights, and she wasn't one for them.) But she liked it, it made her different from everyone else. And one day, when she had the patience and the ability, she would be far more different.

She sighed a little, shaking her head and turning her then blue-eyes into a violet color. "Being a girl's tough," she murmured to herself, turning away from the mirror left behind in her Uncle Percy's old room in the Burrow.

Angelique Lupin was not for looks or vanity, she left all those annoyingly girly characteristics to her older sister, but for the past hour she had been working hard to alter her features. Just starting at herself, putting all her focus into creating something new, like a drawing or a clay mold. But nothing really happened, except for a tan that did not suit her.

And just as she continued questioning herself, or scoffing at herself for being so suddenly insecure, Angelique noticed a parchment laying on her Uncle Percy's old bed, rolled up paper-balls around it.

_It happened out of nowhere_

_The way you appeared and stole my heart_

_You took my breath away, took everything I had_

_You became my constant thought, my deadly desire_

_The way you smile, my cure for sadness_

_The way your eyes shine, my favorite color_

_With you around I know I can reach the sky;_

_I can feel the stars;_

_Could touch the moon_

…_Except that everything ignites on fire and I am left gasping for air_

_Because you don't see me;_

_Even when all I see is you._

Oh, that was why.

"Oi, Angelique!"

Sprinting like someone had just thrown the last Chocolate Frog left in the world onto that old bed, Angelique launched herself onto the mattress. She reached for the evidence of those pathetic words she scribbled on that parchment. "Don't you knock?" She shouted, scowling as she shoved the parchment underneath the pillow. "I could've been changing, you pervert."

Standing there, with an eyebrow raised, and a snort being let out, Logan Greengrass flipped the middle finger out at his cousin. "Please, not interest. And that's an extremely disgusting thought, what's wrong with you?"

Angelique rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Greengrass, and make it snappy. I was trying to nap."

"I know," Logan retorted with a huff. "The rest of us are downstairs working like house-elves for Rose and Scorpius while Princess Angie is up and away from the commoners."

"Yeah, well, not everyone can be as fortunate as me," she replied. "Besides, Grandmum Molly said it was alright to be up here."

"Her favorite now, are you?"

Angelique smiled, shaking her head in reply and then focusing her eyes into his. And in less than a second, her violet-colored eyes popped into an overall white. "Because I scare the children."

Logan rolled his eyes, giving his leg a back kick and closing the door shut. "Freak," he said to her, heading her way. "I think you just spook her."

As he lowered himself at the end edge of the mattress, Angelique raised her feet and kicked him on his stomach with her boots. "What do you want, little Logan? I got no sweets for you today."

"I wouldn't take them if you did," the boy retorted, crossing his arms as he made himself more comfortable on the bed. But seeing the building annoyance on Angelique's face, Logan sighed; deciding to be honest with her. "I just wanted a moment to think, alright."

The witch raised her eyebrow. "About?"

"Love."

"Oh, get out!" Angelique stuck her tongue out, pulling on a disgusted expression. "Do you really have to do that here? I mean, isn't the subject burnt in this household already? Look what happened to Bliss and Rowle, I say run from it and never look back."

But not taking it as a joke, no matter how much Angelique shivered, Logan frowned at her. "Oi, the Bliss thing is not funny, Angie. She's been crying for two days now, it's kind of depressing actually."

She huffed. "Of course it's sad, Riley ratted her out then and there." Logan's expression did not change, so she sighed again. "Alright, it's terrible, I know that. But, mind you, what exactly can _I _do here? I'm not the most sensitive person out there, you know."

"More than Riley, I expect." Logan huffed, shaking his head. "This is why I'm keeping my relationship hidden away from the family. You can never trust a secret with our relatives."

Putting a palm up, a sense of laughter filling up her chest, Angelique gave her second-cousin a weird look. "Wait, wait, wait." She let the laughter out. "You're telling me that you, Logan Greengrass, the bloke who wears footy-pajamas to bed, has a girlfriend?"

"I wouldn't say girlfriend exact, I mean, I'm keeping my options open here. I don't want people to think we're exclusive or anything and then tell my mum about it, that just won't end well," Logan explained quickly, and then proceeded to punch her leg. "And wearing those pajamas were a bet, you know that!"

"No, they weren't."

"Yes they were! I lost the bet to you!"

"Whatever." Angelique scoffed, forgetting about that momentarily. "I'm just still in shock here that you have a girlfriend…That's crazy."

With a light _creak _that should have been heard if Angelique was not letting the idea wrap around her head that someone actually fancied her relative, a pair of blue-eyes narrowed at the girl. "Well, just because _you _have no hope doesn't mean the rest of us don't."

And there, feeling that bubbling rage that she always got when she heard that voice, Angelique turned her head in an angle; her teeth gritted together.

"Mind you, even trolls mate. What does that exactly say about you, Angie?" Taking the freedom to step more into the room, Glorie Lupin smirked a little at her younger sister. "I reckon, for your sake, that you should think about passing as a muggle and joining one of those holy-places, you know? The ones where women who know will never find someone tend to go when they've hit rock bottom."

Angelique felt her fist pulsate, wanting to contract and then collide it with Glorie's pretty face. That gorgeous face that she was so proud of, that symbolized everything a descendant from the Delacours should be—_perfect_. (How'd she love to rearrange it for her.) "Well, then, I might be better off there then. Mind you, I wouldn't want to be in a world filled with men who are interested in blonde, clueless, dimwitted, simple girls that they are just merely attracted to. Part veela and all, Glorie, but, looks do fade. What are you going to do then?"

Logan let out a strangled puff of air, closing his mouth shut as he tried to contain the roar of laughter that wanted to go out.

Glorie raised her head high, trying to remain strong in her place like her sister's words meant nothing. "Maybe so, Angelique, but you tell me something. What bloke, in the times we live in now, who love the beautiful, thin girls, will go for someone like you?" She chuckled. "How many actually are looking for the girls with…'personality' right now?"

Angelique's fingers twitched, her fingertips sensed her wand nearby.

But taking her sister's silence as a good thing, Glorie continued. Stricken with anger, she wanted to hurt her. The brat had something that belonged to her, and until she got it back, she was going to make her little sister's life hell. "Though, that's the problem too, isn't it? Personality. _You lack one_." She took another step in, crossing her arms and glaring. "But even if you were to conjure one up, how long would that last? When you'd probably send them running with the disturbing things you do with your bloody eyes, freak."

And that was it, the melting point. "_Aguamenti_!"

"Run, Angie! Run!" Logan shouted as the stream of water she had produced from her wand knocked her older sister to the floor; her piercing scream blasting off the walls of Percy's old room.

She was done for.

**X**

"Why did we sign up for this?"

"Because my Aunt Hermione did not buy the excuse of us going to Hawaii for the month." There was a mumbled curse. "And Mum got all '_Dominique, ceci est la famille! Ceci est important. Rose ferait la même chose pour vous.' _Whatever that meant. "

Turning in an angle from her laying position on a leather couch she had taken refuge in for the past hour, Angelique saw her Aunt Dominique scowling and passing her husband an envelope.

"Yeah, your mother is a charming woman, but quite terrifying," Derrick Rowle admitted honestly, sighing as he added the envelope to a pile of more on his left. "I get that, but why did you have to tell Rose we would do everything by hand?"

Dominique glared at her husband from the corner of her eye, rubbing her wrist as she threw her quill in the ink-pot nearby. "Because I was drunk, Rowle, that's why. Because I am too nice when there's too much alcohol in my system, happy now?"

The man said nothing, he just quickly looked down at his section of envelopes.

Angelique smirked a little; how she loved that woman.

"Besides, be thankful I managed to get us to escape the Burrow nightmare that's going on at the moment." She threw him another envelope. "Just like my little niece did here."

Angelique dropped the smirk and narrowed her eyes, lifting herself and seating up straight.

Dominique looked up from her work, leering at her niece without any shame or compassion. "It would be nice, since I did accept you with generous hospitality, if you told me why you were here, Ange."

"I could leave," the sixteen year-old answered back to her aunt, frowning. "That's the benefits of having a large family and an unlimited supply of Floo Powder."

"Imagine if she could apparate?" Derrick commented, chuckling to himself.

Dominique disregarded her husband, handing him her pile of work left undone as she continued to stare at her niece. "Tell me what happened, girl."

Angelique sighed, scoffing the tip of her boot on the wooden floor of her aunt's living room. "I have the Anti-Christ as a sister," she mumbled, and then shrugged after a quick pause. "And I might have hexed her."

Dominique's leer grew, but her green eyes contrasted with it.

"I hate her!" Angelique retorted, knowing that her aunt wanted more than just that. "She hates me, it's a cycle, Aunt Dom. She's the bloody good-for-everything-except-nothing-at-all-really precious gem of Mum and Dad. It sickens me."

The redheaded woman raised her eyebrow.

"And I stole something of hers! Merlin, don't get your knickers in a twist," the girl added in a huff, crossing her arms indignantly.

Her aunt leaned against the back of the armchair she was seated in. "I get it, Angelique, both of you have a rivalry. It's perfectly normal for you two, you're so opposite from one another. I felt the same way about your mum."

And this time it was Angelique's turn to raise her eyebrow, looking skeptically at the woman.

"Your mum was the prodigal daughter for Bill and Fleur; she was everything they expected out of their child." Dominique began a sentimental tale, her husband quickly picking up the rest of the envelopes and heading towards the kitchen of his home. (He knew better than to be involved in a women's conversation. Especially with two fiery beings like them.) "She got excellent marks in school, became prefect, won medals for who-the-hell-cares, became Head Girl, graduated Hogwarts, became a Healer, got married pure and in white, and was a blonde. Don't you think I never clashed with her? Do you not know _me_, Angelique? Don't you know your mother? It was a nightmare living with one another, especially because I never gave a damn about anything that Victoire valued."

"But Glorie genuinely hates me, Dominique. And she thinks she can get away with everything because she's daddy's girl."

The redhead woman sighed, narrowing her eyes at her niece. "That's the same way I felt. I was always secretly competing with your mother, and you know what? I lost that round. I was everything opposite of Victoire, just like you are with Glorie. But listen to me, Ange, all the fighting, all the yelling, all the thieving you will do with each other's things, does not stop making you sisters. And that's a bond you'll always have, no matter what. You will never be able to get rid of her, because sadly, we don't get to choose our family. If we did, I would have gotten rid of Louis a long time ago."

Angelique sighed too, slouching on the couch as she crossed her arms. Her eyes started changing colors as she tapped her foot, '_trying' _to consider her aunt's words. But she wasn't going to lie, it was difficult. Glorie was everything she hated in a person, and she never really saw their relationship healing and becoming one as strong as the one Dominique had with Victoire.

Not even a fortune-teller would be able to see that happening.

Aiming a quick glance to the majestic clock hanging on the furthest wall of her living room, Dominique turned back to her niece. Already guessing what was going through her head. "Tell me something, if Glorie was practically dying in front of your eyes, crying every day with so much pain most people won't stay in a room with her, and you have heard her say she wants to die, what would you do? Would you walk away, letting all those differences and arguments get in between you saving her? Or would you step forward and try to help her without hesitation?"

Angelique's expression turned blank, her eyes fading without any of her consent into the exact blue-shade Glorie's were. Her mind coming up with the broken image of her older sister. Something began tugging at her insides, and she didn't like it one bit.

She frowned, snorting as she crossed her arms tighter. She already knew the bloody the answer.

Dominique smiled, glancing quickly at the clock once more. "Your mum saved me, Angelique, right when I was dying of heartache." She inhaled, the memory of when Derrick had left her with the unborn child flashing rapidly through her eyes. "And even Louis, that's why I love that git now. As much as I would sell him to the first bidder in Knockturn Alley, I love him."

_Crack._

Interrupting the little emotional appreciate-your-siblings moment they were having, a tall redhead boy appeared through the crack of air, followed by another. The redhead smiling widely, his rucksack landing on the floor carelessly as his companion lingered in the background.

And walking towards that boy, Dominique extended her arms to him and once he had approached the woman, Dominique reached over and smacked him on the head forcefully.

"Oi, Mum, what was that?"

"You're late," Dominique snapped, glaring as her son rubbed his head. "Do you know how worried I was?"

Dustin frowned at her too, but taking a cautious step back. "It was Wood's fault, go hit him!"

And behind him, a tall dark-haired boy, with mesmerizing brown eyes stepped forward. Aiming a quick punch to the arm at Dustin, but smiling enchantingly at his mother. "Good evening, Mrs. Rowle."

"Zacharias, how lovely to see you again." Dominique hugged him, but threw her son a frown over his friend's shoulder. "But what's with all these bags? You were only supposed to stay for the ceremony."

Dustin snorted. "Yeah, well, we changed our minds. The Headmaster gave us the week off, after we finished a few things at school of course."

"How fortunate for you two." Beginning to scowl at her son, Dominique felt a calming hand on her shoulder as her husband came out of the kitchen. Grinning hugely as his pride and joy came back after about half a year of not seeing him. "And what will you be doing in all this time? Because last I checked, Rose had no clue about your early visit."

Dustin grinned, but took another step back. "Well, I got an owl from Jet yesterday, and he's in dire need for some cheering up, yeah? And I said to Zack, what sort of friend would I be if I just let him wallow in his misery and heartbreak? That thing with Bliss really has him all topsy-turvy, Mum."

"So Dustin suggested, so generously, an entire day at a pub in London, all for Jet's cause," Zacharias commented soon after, smirking a little as Dustin glared at him.

"A pub, Dustin?"

The redhead eighteen year-old took another step back and a lot to the side, his eyes finding a human-shield that had been hiding from his view. "Angelique, didn't see you there!"

"I - um." Angelique swallowed a ball of nerves, her heart rushing with something unexplainable as all eyes landed on her; especially those brown ones that belonged Wood.

She shouldn't have been there. She should have been at the Burrow, hiding out in her Uncle Percy's old room, minding her own business and staying away from the wedding-chores someone had signed her up for. She should have been there, safe and away from Wood, but like always things did not go her way.

Damn Glorie, this was her fault and Angelique knew it. (She would gladly drown her in another shot of Aguamenti, that wench.)

"Hey, Angie." Zacharias had spoken, and she barely heard him. She just watched him move his lips, oh those glorious lips. "How are you?"

Now, if only she could answer him. If only she could stop her pounding heart, her boiling blood, the butterflies fluttering in the pit of her stomach, and the dizzying sounds inside her eardrums.

Damn him too. Him and the hectic mess he turned her to when he was around. (Oh, how she felt like a fool constantly.)

"Angelique, don't be rude." Dominique scowled at her niece.

Damn her aunt too, then. "…Hey, Zack," she managed to mutter out, swallowing again.

Now you may ask yourself: _what the hell is happening here? _Well, Angelique would like to answer that, but _she _doesn't even know. She didn't know what this feeling was, but that Wood was the only one who caused it in her; ever since she was nine.

Zacharias Wood became Dustin's best friend in his first year at Hogwarts, and the rest sort of explains itself. Wood was always around since his bond with Dustin was unbreakable, meaning he was always invited to every Weasley-and-Co's family gatherings which exposed him to the others. And the boy was always so charming, becoming really well liked amongst the family, and especially by Angelique.

There was a way he would smile at her, a way he would include her in their plans for a game of Quidditch, Exploding Snap, Wizard Chess, or anything else Dustin wanted to exclude her from just to be a git. She imagined he was what Prince Charming looked like from that muggle-fairytale one of her relatives had once read to her.

Except there was a tiny, teensy problem: he didn't know she existed.

He couldn't see what he did to her, or how much she followed after him like a loyal puppy. He didn't know that every hug he gave her sent her heart thumping; how every conversation he had with her would replay a thousand times before going to bed; how every glance he gave her she memorized; how every time he walked her to class she wanted time to slow down so she could have him for a little longer; how the book he gave her for her fifteenth birthday is in her treasure chest; how the letter he had sent her the summer before her Fourth Year, randomly, she keeps in there too; or how every time he brushes by her breaks her heart.

Because he sees her, he does, but right _through _her.

And that's what hurts so much.

Angelique isn't the nicest or a girly-girl for starters, but for him she adopts those stupid fairytale endings most of the girls her age are always going on and on about. Because she allows herself to dream about him, to picture the rest of their life together. Because she wants him to ride up in armor and save her. Save her from herself and the poisoning ideas that sometimes lingers in her head. Because she knows he'd be the cure, her shot at happiness and rainbows.

"_Angelique_." Snap.

Blinking her eyes rapidly, a little stunned, Angelique widened her gaze as she found a man with infuriated red-eyes staring into hers, the deepest frown on his face that she hadn't seen on him in a while. "Dad?"

Teddy Lupin narrowed his eyes at his youngest daughter, crossing his arms as he stared at her disapprovingly. "You didn't think I wouldn't know that you'd be hiding out _here_?" He turned his head in an angle, throwing his frown at his sister-in-law.

"Oi, be glad I took her in and she wasn't taking wondering about in the mental streets of Britain." Dominique snapped at Teddy, not stirred by his glare. "Besides, she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your uncontrollable temper, Lupin."

"She wouldn't be here if she hadn't flooded Glorie to the floor!" Teddy retorted back.

Angelique smiled faintly, feeling uncomfortable as Wood tried containing his laughter.

"It was harmless, I'm sure."

Teddy frowned harder at Dominique. "Oh, but of course. Because if Dustin was to almost drown Devon, it would be harmless and you would handle it so easily."

"Technically, that already happened," Derrick interjected causally, trying to ease the tension with some humor.

Dominique rolled her eyes at her husband, pushing him a step back. "Maybe, it's ideal, Lupin, to give the girls some time apart. You know Glorie won't let this slide, and Grandmum Molly does not need her home destroyed by the pair of them. Aunt Ginny will murder you if they do."

And just as Teddy looked to be thinking that over, Dustin stepped in as soon as he saw the saddened looked in Angelique's eyes. (But not really knowing that that look was for something entirely different; she could give a hippogriff's ass about Glorie or her dad's disappointment at the moment.) "Listen, Uncle Ted, why don't you just let Angie stay here for a bit? Let things cool down over there first."

"Devon's upstairs, she could stay with her for a few hours," Mister Rowle offered.

And wanting to help the girl, Wood added his two cents too. "Dustin and I can take her back to the Burrow when we return from the pub at night. We are going to be staying there for the week anyway, it wouldn't be a problem."

And again, Angelique's heart went _thump, thump, thump _with so much force. And this time not just by the beautiful sound of his voice.

"We're taking Uncle Percy's old room." Dustin nodded along with his friend. "It won't be a problem, honestly."

Teddy sighed. "Alright—"

"No, are you mad!" Angelique smacked her palm over her mouth, her hysteria coming out unannounced as she could picture Dustin and Wood stumbling into Percy's room, one of them finding all those rubbish writings she stuffed underneath the pillows; never guessing that someone would actually want to go in there. "I mean, I think I should apologize to Glorie."

At that, her father and aunt raised their eyebrows at her. Watching her carefully, like she was an alien who staggered its way into the Rowles living room.

Taking in a deep inhale, Angelique pulled on the phoniest grin she could muster, and her eyes the lightest shade of violet ;looking perfectly innocent. "Shall we go now, Dad?"

Dominique still looked at her niece quizzically, especially as she glance forward, blushed, and then took her father's hand. And almost like a light-bulb had gone off, the redheaded woman smirked. "…_Aha_."

Angelique cleared her throat and shut her eyes, feeling the dizzying feel of side-long apparation instantly as she tried to push off the knowing gaze her aunt had thrown at her.

She did not need Dominique playing her Godmother in this failed-attempt of fairytale that was never going to happen. She already knew she was never going to have him, she didn't need someone else knowing too.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, Hello there my lovely readers!<strong>

**I hope all of you are doing beautifully! (Can you tell I'm in a good mood?)**

**Anyway, I hope you're liking this and that it isn't too confusing. And if it is, I'm sorry?**

**I love you all. (:**


	5. To Be A Malfoy

**Hometown Glory**

**Chapter Four : **To Be A Malfoy

"_Grandchildren are the dots that connect the lines from generation to generation." - Lois Wyse_

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><p>"—Potter's on the move!"<p>

"—Malfoy's right on his trail!"

"—Will he catch up, ladies and gents?"

"—Oh! Potter dodges that bludger!"

"—It's headed towards Malfoy! Can he dodge it?"

"—Forget about the bloody bludger! Potter's catching up to the snitch!"

"—Will this be it, mates? Will the Potters once again claim the raging title as the world's best amateur seekers?"

"—Will the Malfoys always shame themselves in their poor Quidditch skills!"

"—Oi! Foul! Foul! Malfoy's playing dirty! Someone call the referee!"

"—This is a game of Quidditch, dunce! There is no referee, Potter's on his own! Can he recover!"

"—Wait! Malfoy has just been bombarded by flying pillows! Potter's heading towards the snitch!"

"—Go! Go! Go!"

"—This is the final moment, can he make it?"

"—He is close - but, oh! Will you look at this? Malfoy's catching up!"

"—Too bloody bad! Potter's an inch away for that golden snitch!"

"This is it, Potter's got the — _Oi_!"

And in the last raging seconds, in the last moments of the intense game of Quidditch a few were having inside the fragile walls of the Burrow's living room, a redheaded girl appeared at the end of the spiraled staircase. One hand on her hip and the other holding on to a fluttering golden-ball with wings that was a centimeter away from being captured by a sweating-Potter.

"I believe this belongs to me," Riley Weasley said causally, squeezing the ball tight in her hold until the wings fell dead.

Four different types of eyes gaped at her, aghast and incredulous. The game of the century was just moments away from being concluded, from being recorded in Weasley and Co's history books.

"Oi, we were playing here!" Lynx Malfoy hissed at the girl, breathing in heavily from the intense session before she so rudely interrupted. "Give it back, Riley."

The girl narrowed her brown eyes at the blonde boy, scoffing at his demand. "Oh, I'm sorry, I think you've mistaken me for someone who gives a bloody damn," she told him in an over-the-top sweet voice. "Don't look at me that way, Malfoy, you git."

Lynx continued to glare, his mind rushing with words that were threatening to come flying out.

"Alright, alright. How about we all calm down, yeah?" Stepping in, after catching his breath as his two relatives argued, Neo Potter put his palm up and made his way in the middle of the two. "If one of you hex each other, Grandmum Molly will be livid. We don't want another episode like the Lupin girls had, right?"

Riley and Lynx snorted, rolling their eyes at the dark-haired boy. (Damn pacifist.)

"Look, Malfoy, stay out of my things, alright?" Riley warned, ignoring Neo. "Next time I see my things ruffled and my trunk overturned, I'm going to curse you back into Rose's womb, understood?"

And though Riley did have one of the worst tempers from the kids of the new generation, Lynx was not moved by it. He instead smiled innocently, his silver eyes boiling with malice. "Why's that, Ri? Hiding something are you? Perhaps your heart?" His smiled broaden when the girl frowned. "And as much as I am _not _interested in whatever you have in there, I wasn't the one who took the snitch from your trunk. Daddy dearest was." And he pointed a finger backwards.

Standing from behind the couch where he was narrating the Quidditch match from, accompanied by Louis, Freddie Weasley stared at one-half of his twin daughters; nothing really on his face that Riley or the others hadn't seen for the last couple of days.

And that was disappointment.

"What were you looking for, Dad?" Riley asked, her tone low but still aggravated.

But standing tall, Freddie turned his head to the side; his hair flopping over his face to conceal the girl away from him.

Shaking his head, Louis put an arm over his cousin's shoulder. "We are not at liberty to discuss that with you now, Riley." And both grown men headed away from the children, not sparing a look back.

Lynx smirked a little more happily, a little more daring since Freddie was now gone and he was at liberty to be a ruddy git. "Well, seems like your daddy's still upset with you, Ri. My, how will you ever get his love back?"

"Shut up." Riley almost mumbled, scowling. "You don't know anything."

"On the contrary, I know quite enough," Malfoy continued, still grinning like the day was magnificent. "I know how Freddie can't look at you for too long, you know, because you made a skeptical of Bliss' love-life. Then there's his shame because he can't really talk to James since you, his daughter, hurt _his _daughter. Then, his disappointment in you for hurting a relative so viciously, and the whole trying to date Rowle who is four years older than you."

Riley's cheeks started getting a red tint to them.

Lynx looked at Neo, shrugging casually. "That right there is a mess already, don't you reckon, mate?"

Inhaling rapidly, puffing through her gritted teeth like she had just ran a marathon, Riley chucked the golden-ball towards Malfoy, the snitch hitting him square on the nose.

"Oi!" Lynx groaned, ducking down as he clutched onto his face.

"Riley, are you mad!" Neo snapped, bending down and helping Malfoy up as the latter kept groaning in pain. "You broke his nose!" But when he looked up, Neo didn't find his redheaded cousin in sight anymore; but he saw two girls marching in from the kitchen.

"What happened?" Athena asked, raising an eyebrow as her older brother mumbled a curse after another from behind his hand.

Stepping forward, wand out, Alexa, Neo's twin, rolled her eyes at the younger girl. "Isn't it obvious?" She extended her arm, reaching over to Lynx's face and tearing his hands away from his face. Blood dripped down towards his mouth. "This has Riley's name written all over it."

"She's a bloody menace!" Lynx hissed, gritting his teeth.

Athena sighed, shaking her red hair. "Couldn't you have just given her the silent treatment like everybody else?"

And not giving Malfoy the chance to answer, Alexa gave her wrist a wave and a light spewed from her wand-end. "_Episkey_."

_Snap._

"Ugh! Bloody mother of a Hufflepuff!" Lynx cursed, breathing in at the terrible crack his nose had just made.

Alexa and Athena exchanged looks, both of them rolling their eyes. "It could've been worse, she could have aimed towards your manly-bits."

"And you can't fix those," the two girls said mockingly, walking away from their individual brothers.

**X**

He was absolutely tired—exhausted did not even cover it.

His parents had to be mental, his mum especially, he was sure of it. How can a person with the brains that she had possibly think that having more than enough people that he could think of on the spot jammed-packed together for a week? Did she never stop to think about the feuds? About the fights? About the pranks? About the never-ending sea of people left and right?

Of course not, Rose Malfoy was nothing but a wrapped package of love and togetherness. Why else would she have a re-wedding at this juncture of her life? Wasn't she suffice with the first round of lovey-dovey affection that she had to go for another? Honestly, people got it, her and Scorpius were soul mates. (There was no need to remind the world.)

Grumbling past his bitter thoughts, because he had spent the last three hours plotting revenge and cleaning the yard—_without magic_—for his parents wedding ceremony soon, Lynx path was impeded by a figure sitting on the middle of the staircase he was trying to climb.

"Oi, do you mind?" He grunted, crossing his arms as he waited impatiently.

The dark-haired man looked up, something odd glittering in his black-eyes that Lynx wasn't too aware of yet due to his young age. "Sorry."

And at the guilty-conscience he had inherited from his mother, no doubt, Lynx lingered for a few seconds, eyeing the bloke as he stood up. "…You know she's not here, right?" He sighed after another few seconds, not wanting to be a part of this. (But obviously it was too late.)

"Who?"

Lynx narrowed his eyes. "Bliss, obviously." He snorted. "Look, Rowle, you're a decent bloke, no denying that, but you're wasting your time hiding up here, waiting for her to just pop out of nowhere."

Jet Rowle remained blank, not really wanting to get into the matters of the heart with a fifteen year-old boy. "Do you know where she is? I - I, um, just want to know she's alright." But of course, when a man was in love he resorted to anything for his damsel.

The blonde-boy sighed. "She's with her grandparents, Godrics Hallow." (He was just too nice now.) "But you didn't hear it from me, alright, mate? I've got enough as it is planning revenge against Riley for breaking my nose, that I do not need to plan something to get _you _back."

At the mention of the redheaded devil, Jet snorted; hiding a mumbled curse.

But just before that turned into a scheming, immature plot to expand the revenge, Neo came trotting down the staircase, exiting one of the rooms. "Oi, ready to go?"

Jet nodded once at Potter, then quickly turned to his messenger-boy. "Want to join us, Malfoy? We're all headed to London, going to escape this madness while the adults handle theirs."

Lynx shook his head, still feeling the throbbing skin of his hands from pulling out weeds from the garden. "Next time, mates." And with that, he waved a little goodbye to them, moved past them, and continued his path upstairs.

And as he lazily picked up his feet, one by one, without giving up and tossing himself on the floor and just sleep there, he managed to make it almost to the other level when he spotted an open door. Usually, he would have ran past it, just in case an adult was there and demanded something from him, Lynx stopped as he heard familiar voices echoing from the room. Two in particular that he hadn't heard in a while.

He tip-toed a sneakily towards the door, leaning up against the wall by the doorframe. He perked his ears as he tried listening into the already-continuing conversation.

"You're a constant worry to your Aunt Astoria, Abel."

Lynx leaned a slightly to the side, his right eye getting a quick peek inside. And in the room, there was a man sitting on an old armchair, a glass halfway empty with a golden-like liquid in his hand, and a brunette boy looking up at him from his place on the floor.

"…I know," the boy replied to the man. "But I've told her I'm fine, honest."

The man let out a humph, almost like a snort, and then swooshed his drink as he looked at the boy solemnly. "Astoria is many wonderful things, boy, and one of them being the attention and connection she has with her family. Which means she does notice your lingering in the background, your silence, your solitaire despite your efforts to hide them—and that is not what she wants for you."

Only being able to see the back of the boy's head, Lynx saw him give a tiny nod. "Liam and Lily have been great, I don't deny that. It's just…I feel like a burden." He lowered his head a little, almost in guilt. "It's like I was being tossed around until those Ministry Officials decided what to do with me. Two weeks with Aunt Astoria, a month with Scorpius and Rose, a week in an orphanage…."

As he trailed off, the man sat a little taller on the armchair; his pale face looking a little uncomfortable with the thick emotion that had suddenly filled the air of that room. "The Ministry takes these situations seriously, Abel. You're an orphan, and they needed to figure out what home was going to be best for you." He paused, taking a swig of his glass. "It's not a matter of being a burden, Abel, it's about what the law stated. And they chose Liam to be your guardian, and he gladly accepted. Not because he had to, but because you're his family."

There was silence again, and Lynx leaned a few more centimeters closer to get a better look.

"…I feel lost a bit." Abel Greengrass picked his head up, looking up towards the elder man. "My dad was not the…not since my mum died years ago…They were still my parents." He cleared his throat, trying to push that knot that was there. "I just feel alone sometimes."

"But you are not," the man said to Abel. "Astoria loves you with all her heart, I know this well. Not to mention Potter's daughter smothers you as if you were her own child, Liam protects you, and your cousins are always there." He looked up, the man. His stormy eyes passing through the brunette boy on the floor, traveling towards the door and catching the ones of his legacy. "Isn't that right, Lynx?"

His eyes shot open, taking back those centimeters and hiding away from the view of the two inside the old room.

"Eavesdropping is a distasteful act, Lynx," the man spoke again, voice neutral. "Especially if you get caught."

Mumbling a curse, back-kicking the wall, Lynx reluctantly made his way inside the room, getting amused stares from the others as he looked embarrassed because he had been caught . (Not to mention he was mad _because _he had been caught. And now he wasn't going to take a nap anytime soon, he knew it.)

Abel, his second-cousin from his father's side, smirked a little awkwardly up at him, clearing his throat as he did. "Garden work, eh?" He said in that discomfort, bringing attention to Lynx's cut hands.

The blonde boy shrugged a little with a nod, and then turned to the man who was still giving him a firm stare. "Sorry, Grandfather, I didn't mean to pry."

Draco Malfoy, giving his glass of Firewhiskey another stir, remained somber as he continued looking at his only grandson.

"_Honest,_" Lynx pressed on, completely lying of course.

But as the elder Malfoy man shook his fading blonde hair, Abel rose from the floor. "I better go find Lily. I told her I was going to use the loo before helping with our share, and that was three hours ago." He smiled that awkward smile and hurriedly headed towards the door without sparing a look back.

Draco stirred his glass again, looking down at the golden-liquid as his grandson lowered himself in the same spot Abel had been in. "You keep your eyes on that boy, Lynx. He'll never ask for help from any of you, but he'll need it." He looked up from his drink. "And better to be prepared in case he does need it."

The fifteen year-old boy nodded once, understanding perfectly well.

And because he _did _understand the concept, because he knew that the motto of his family, especially on the Weasley side, was to protect one another, to love each other, and keep the family united, Lynx couldn't help but wonder something. Something he didn't really know why he never bothered to ask, or why he never thought about it before.

"Grandfather, do you think your father would have been okay with all of this?" It was a straightforward question, but the moment he asked it, the moment he looked into his grandfather's silver eyes, Lynx felt like a five year-old with his curiosity out of control.

Draco narrowed his eyes at the teenage boy, not really because of anger or offense, but because it was something he never stopped to think about. He had, mind you, thought about how different life would've been if the outcome of the war had been different, or if he would've died in that fire that Crabbe had sprouted; if he would've actually, somehow, managed to kill Dumbledore himself; if Snape hadn't done it for him and the Dark Lord would have murdered him and his parents; or if by some terrible twist of events, he would've never met Astoria Greengrass.

Those were the things he thought of on long nights, all those different outcomes that could have been if something had not gone according to destiny. But not once had he wondered if Lucius Malfoy would have spat his venom, if he would to be alive and he witnessed the direction his legacy had been turning into. But now he pondered, what would have he done if Lucius did forbid the mix of the Malfoys with the people they had spent ages feuding with?

"Granddad?" Lynx called, raising an eyebrow as the blonde man said nothing.

Draco clutched onto his glass, thinking back years ago.

None of this—nothing of which was all around him, the old Burrow room, the people downstairs he would've never befriended when he was a teen— was from _his _accord. None of it. He hadn't chose to be this involved with anything in his present life, sure he had been civil to Potter, Weasley and Granger when he stumbled past them times after the war, but he never assumed he would be on some type of first-name bases with them.

It was Scorpius.

It was his son who made all of this happen, who got the Malfoys to where they were now. It was his friendship with Albus Potter; his slow but sure interaction with the rest of Al's clan; it was the years at Hogwarts with them and their adventures; it was his love with Rose Weasley that changed everything.

"_Granddad_?" Lynx repeated, this time a little scared. (The man was getting older every passing second, maybe his mind had gone faulty.)

But before Lynx decided to check if his grandfather was breathing, Draco blinked and stared into his eyes. Something passing over him, like a realization as Lynx sighed in relief. "…Things change, Lynx, all the time."

And Draco knew that that was true. Because it did not matter the ideals that his father had died with, it was what happened _after_. It was the choices that Scorpius made, the way fate played its game—it was the miraculous miracle of that precise present moment. Because he knew that he would have stood beside Scorpius, if Lucius would have opposed, and supported him though his choice of affection; even if it was odd. It was because of all of that that Draco was staring directly into his grandson's eyes; a boy he loved for every trait and piece of who he was. (No matter who he shared blood with.)

"You should tell that to Mum and Dad, then," Lynx huffed, leaning with his palms a little further back on the ground. "Can't they just take a trip down memory-lane with a pensieve and save us from all this madness? How do they expect us to survive all of this?"

Draco smirked at his grandchild, raising his glass of Firewhiskey to his lips. "Everyone's got their methods."

_Knock. Knock. _

Just as Lynx rolled his eyes at his grandfather, because no doubt there will be some sort of argument with his Grandmother Astoria over the liquor he had been too friendly with, someone knocked on the door of the old room politely.

And as that person peeked their head in, Lynx felt his heart go nuts inside his chest as he recognized the blue eyes that were scanning the room.

"Excuse me, am I interrupting?"

Going back into his serious expression, Mister Malfoy shook his head. "Not at all, Scamander." He motioned access to the room with a little wave of his wrist.

Entering the room, with a little nervous smile and glowing blue eyes that came from her grandmother's side, from Luna Lovegood herself, a brunette girl stood a few steps away from the two Malfoys. "I was just wondering if either of you had seen Athena, everyone else is looking for her."

Lynx felt his skin go numb, and apparently his mouth had too. He couldn't phrase words clearly and just spluttered everything. It was like a sudden convulsions, or some sort of restrained epilepsy, the way his body was acting a fool.

Draco narrowed his eyes at the blonde boy. "She's in the shed with Arthur," he answered the girl with no attention at all. "What do they need my granddaughter for? Not more labor, I expect. They've been working her like a slave."

Raven Scamander took a step back, a little scared. "I - No, not at all, sir," she whispered to the elder man. "We're all going to London for a bit of a distraction and we wanted her to come along."

Mister Malfoy gave another nod, aiming a glance at his grandson who's mouth was slightly hanging open. "In the shed, like I said."

Raven mumbled a 'thank you' and headed hurriedly to the door, but not before sneaking a longing look at Lynx who was still speechless and wondering when the hell had she arrived at the Burrow.

Just as the last sway of Alice Longbottom and Lysander Scamander's daughter was seen, Lynx bolted from his place on the floor. No tiredness in his body, no sleep in his eyes, and everything else forgotten as he could still smell the fragrance of strawberries the girl had left behind. "I'm a little hungry, grandfather, I think I'll head to the kitchen for a snack. Want something—No? Okay, bye!" And he ran towards the door without a look back.

Shaking his head to himself, Draco Malfoy reached over for the Firewhiskey bottle on the table next to him, refilling his glass. "Of course he would fancy that girl."

It seemed that the knew generation of Malfoys leaned towards the innocent-like girls, which is why he ended up with Rose Weasley as a daughter-in-law in the first place.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey!<strong>

**Well first off, I would just like to summarize the characters quickly.**

**Riley - daughter of Freddie and Evanna.**

**Neo - son of Al and Nia.**

**Lynx - son of Rose and Scorpius.**

**Raven - daughter of Alice Longbottom II and Lysander Scamander.**

**Abel Greengrass - Cousin to the Malfoys and Greengrass' only  
><strong>

**Well, I suppose that's it? Lol. Thanks for still reading! Love you, guys! xx**


	6. For Better Or Worse

**Hometown Glory**

**Chapter Five: **For Better Or Worse

"_Marriage is three parts love and seven parts forgiveness of sins." - Langdon Mitchell_

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><p>They were sitting quietly in the living room of the Burrow, none of them making any noise as the loud ticks of Molly Weasley's clock echoed in their silence. Making it sound like if a bomb was ready to explode in the room.<p>

Neither of them knew what happened, why suddenly they were all ushered into the room like it was raining fire or the Dark Lord had risen from the dead after more than thirty years of decaying in a muggle-hell and was now charging his way past the overgrown grass. (Which that second happened to be a theory made by Ron Weasley after a five year-old Rose had asked him once about and then spread it to everyone else.)

But even in their silence, in their impatience, none of them moved. They all sat perfectly still, eyeing each other as if they could spot whoever was at fault that they were there.

"…_What did you do_?" Theodore Weasley whispered to the person sitting across from him, a suspicious glare in his brown eyes.

"Me?" The person retorted in the same low tone. "I'm offended."

And from one of the three seats in the couch, Violet Greengrass snorted as quietly as she could. "…No one believes that. You did something—"

"_Both _of you," Elinor Scamander concluded for her best friend, eyeing the person who was seated by their left on that old couch. "You did something and blamed us, didn't you?"

"Did not," Louis and Freddie Weasley replied in unison, staring at the kids like if they had been just seriously insulted.

Theodore went back to looking at his father doubtfully. "Mum was looking for you, Dad, and you weren't anywhere to be found."

Freddie rolled his eyes at his youngest child. "…I was in the loo."

"Aunt Fleur was looking for you, Louis. Where were _you_?" Violet asked the blonde man, raising her eyebrow at him.

Louis looked a little hesitant to answer. "I was in the loo…?" He said so unconvinced, earning a glare from his cousin as he did.

Elinor looked at the two grown men with a scowl on her face. "At the same time?" She asked, looking at them individually as Freddie threw the blonde man a glare. "Might want to tell your mum what your dad was doing, Theo."

Freddie turned his glare at Lucy's only child, not stirred at the fact that the girl was only thirteen. "Oi, you watch your mouth, girl, before I wash it with a bar of soap!"

As Elinor gaped at the redheaded man's shout, Molly Weasley walked into her living room with a bucket floating behind her.

"I demand some respect, I am an adult!" Freddie continued. "I will knock some sense into you that that git of Lorcan Scamander hasn't done so in all of these years!"

Stopping at the corner of the room, a frown on her wrinkling expression, Molly Weasley placed her hands on her hips. "Fred Weasley, you sit down this instant!" She ordered her grandchild, scaring him a bit from her sudden presence and raging voice.

The thirty-six year-old man sat himself automatically, earning a leer from Elinor, a roll of the eyes from his son, and a snort from his blonde veela-cousin.

"Now, apologize to Elinor, Fred," Mrs. Weasley continued, scowling at the attitude that the redheaded man had let hit the blonde girl.

Freddie mumbled a curse, looked down at his shoes and sighed. "Sorry."

Throwing a sigh out of her own, Violet cleared her throat gently to get her great-grandmother's attention before she would continue on to lecture Freddie about when he was going to _finally _grow-up and scold him about following George's steps and acting like a kid all of his life. "Grandmum Molly, can you please tell us what this is about? We've been sitting here for an hour now."

Elinor nodded in agreement. "We were cleaning the attic upstairs like Aunt Hermione had asked us, we didn't do anything. Honest."

Theo nodded too. "Though I can't vouch for my dad, Grandmum Molly. I'm pretty sure whatever happened, it was his and Louis' fault."

Freddie's jaw dropped and Louis gasped dramatically. "Theodore, you don't rat out your father!" He looked incredulous at his son. "Honor the Weasley-men code, you know that!"

Theo rolled his eyes again at his father. "The Weasley-men code also states that whenever Grandmum Molly, or Aunt Ginny in some occasions, is angry each man fends for himself," he recited the line that was scribbled in the back of an old parchment-made book that he was sure was made by Freddie, Louis, and James during their time at Hogwarts; with the help of George Weasley no doubt. "All them, Grandmum, we swear it," yhe fourteen year-old boy said to the old woman, turning back to look at her.

Louis threw his cousin's son a threatening motion from his seat with his hand.

Molly Weasley shook her faded red-hair at her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. "This bucket," she spoke, ignoring all their bickering as she pointed at the metallic container that was floating next to her, "is filled with food for the hens and chickens."

Freddie's eyes shot open and Louis leaned into his seat, almost slouching down the couch as if he were going to attempt to hide underneath it.

"You are to feed them," Mrs. Weasley went on with her strict tone. "We want them to be on their best behavior all week for Rose and Scorpius' wedding, don't we? And since some of you are staying here until the re-bonding is over and you're off to Hogwarts again, we don't want any of them waking you up in the morning."

No one said anything, some of the newest generation exchanged confused glances with one another. ( Elinor, Violet, nor Theo were staying with their great-grandparents so their confusion and growing-annoyance rose more.)

"Come on now, you lot," Mrs. Weasley clapped her hands together, motioning for all of them to get up from their seats, "go feed them. But, oh, oh. Before I forget, Freddie and Louis, you two should go scouting the next ten miles."

And again, the two elder men gaped and tried to blend in with furniture as they stood shakily from their places.

"Since you two released them!" Mrs. Weasley shouted at her grandchildren, her elderly expression turning red. "How - many - times - have - I - told - you - about - testing - your - ridiculous - products - on - the - animals!" She smacked both of them with her wand, making her great-grandchildren cower behind Arthur Weasley's armchair for their protection and amusement.

"It was Dad's idea - _Ouch_, Gran!" Freddie screeched, covering his head with his arms as the woman kept smacking him. "He didn't want to test - _ouch _- anything out at the shop! He said it wouldn't be a - _ow _- problem!"

And like she was alternating between hitting them both, Louis covered his face and gave the woman his back; allowing her to hit him there as she pleased. He didn't mind being smacked, but he always did manage to protect his handsome features from it. They were his legacy, his flawless looks. "James was involved too! _Ow! _He's the one that opened the gate, Gran!"

"You go find me those creatures, Fred and Louis Weasley!" Molly shouted, striking them again with her wand in a rapid speed that it almost looked like a talent. "You hear me?!"

"Yes! Yes!" They shouted, trying to move past her as fast as they could; scrambling towards the door like a wild animal had been set-off on them.

Violet laughed merrily, staring at her great-grandmother with so much awe. "Now I know where Grandmother Ginny gets it from, it's brilliant."

Mrs. Weasley breathed in to stabilize her anger, but smiled sweetly at Ginny's granddaughter. "Theo, Vi, go after them. Make sure they do as they were told. Oh! And they are to feed them their food seed by seed, alright?"

And smiling at that, because that meant rule over the two elder men, Theodore and Violet swaggered after them; the bucket following them as the echoes of their plots to make this event more torturous faded away.

"—Gran!" Almost sprinting down the spiral staircase of the Burrow, Rose called for the eldest Weasley-woman as Hermione also entered through one of the backdoors. "Gran, have you seen Dad?"

"Ron!" Hermione shouted, looking out of breath and running on some kind of surge of energy. "_Ron_!"

Not even getting a chance to reply to her granddaughter's question, or ask her daughter-in-law why she was shouting, Molly Weasley saw her youngest son exit the kitchen; an eyebrow raised and a mince-pie in one of his hands. "_W'a_?"

Usually she would have scolded her husband for speaking with his mouth full, but all Hermione could do was squeal. "Guess who just apparated outside?!"

"Oi, if you invited Viktor Krum to the wedding, 'Mione—especially days early—I will hex him directly in his pumpkin-head!" Ron threatened, shoving the rest of his treat into his mouth as he frowned at his wife. "Just because he is a widower nowadays does not bloody mean that he can be your best mate!"

Hermione frowned too. "Ron, we've been through this. Viktor is an old—" But the rest of her over-repeated explanation was cut short as Rose dashed between them, shoving her father back a step with a giant squeal.

"_Rose, too tight_."

Adding another stumbled step back, and this time from his own accord, Ron Weasley's eyes filtered with automatic tears, his jaw dropped, and his heart seemed to have exploded inside his chest as he noticed the person trying to push away from his daughter's hold. A person who had just appeared inside his childhood home; someone that had been missing for years.

"Hugo!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed cheerfully, tears burning in her eyes as well, making her way fast to her grandson before Ron or Hermione even reached him. "Oh, my dear boy!"

Hugo Weasley, alternating from one redhead to another, hugged his grandmother tightly too. It was something that he hadn't done since he was about five, which he had later tried to escape her embraces as he grew up. But now, now he held on and inhaled in the scent of childhood memories, of his times with her and his Grandfather Arthur in this house.

Shaking his head a little, only because he didn't know what to do with himself, Ron gaped at his youngest child. "...Son?"

Releasing his grandmother, Hugo turned to his father. He started him in the face for the first time in years. "Dad." He smiled, opening his arms and motioning the man to come towards him.

And not having to be told twice, Ron marched over to his only son and hugged him tightly. He held on to the now-man that stood there in front of him, a nostalgia of noticing all the differences on him that time gave him. Differences and experiences that he had missed. "You been busy, eh?"

Hugo laughed half-heartedly and chose not to get into the subject yet. He knew that the moment would come where his parents, and other family members that he had not seen in too long, would badger him for answers of his lack of presence over the past years.

"Oi, you never said I had to carry your bags in, prat!"

And in the same way Hugo had snuck his way into his grandparents home, Artie Weasley, Percy's youngest child, threw a ransack on the old floor as he marched in.

"Uncle Artie?!" Elinor shouted, making herself noticed after she had allowed her great-Uncle Ron's immediate family to share their moment. "Uncle Artie!" She shouted again, bouncing happily on her feet as she rushed towards him.

Dabbing the ends of her apron at the corner of her eyes, Mrs. Weasley smiled so happily as another grandson that she hadn't seen in a while appeared. "Oh, my," she breathed contentedly, joining the hug Elinor had with Artie. "You two have made an old woman happy."

"You'll be even more delighted to know, Gran, that Artie doesn't blow anything up anymore," Hugo commented, stuck in the middle of an embrace between his parents and sister. "France made him grow up these past years that he's been with me. He can actually act like an adult now. I expect Uncle Percy will be proud."

Artie rolled his eyes, patting his sister Lucy's daughter on the head gently. "It certainly had a lot to do with the fact that Hugo's _boring,_" he replied soon after his cousin. "And because his girlfriend has a bloody awful temper."

"Hugo, darling," turning to her son, Hermione looked a little bewildered, "in all of this, where _is _Olivia?"

"When we apparated outside the end-gates, Evanna and Nia were planting some flowers towards that side of the field," he quickly explained. "There was squeals, jumps, giggles, incoherent ramblings, and of course she stayed with her friends."

All the women present, one from all four generations, smiled and awed girlishly at the image of the old friends reuniting; after all, it had been about ten years that Hugo, accompanied by Olivia Boot had taken off to France and never looked back.

And because of their mushiness, the three Weasley-men in the room rolled their eyes. "_Women_."

**X**

Walking out towards the garden of her mother's childhood home, Lily Luna Greengrass carried a pitcher of fresh pumpkin-juice as she headed towards the small huddle that had taken place at the edge of the outside garden.

It seemed that all of Rose's assignments to her relatives had paused themselves from the sudden arrivals of a few family members that they had not seen for too long, all of them too preoccupied to catch up with them to even think about flowers, dresses, or none of that other wedding rubbish.

"...But naturally he got over it." Lily managed to catch the end of Hugo's sentence to the little crowd of the Third Generation.

Rose sighed a little, stuck to her brother's side as she tighten the arm she had around his shoulders. "Well, Hugo, you get how this family works, you've always have. And the reason why Dad was so upset was because you, in fact, knew it and still decided to go your own way."

Lily's favorite cousin, her best friend growing up, tried not to roll his eyes. "You're making it sound like that's actually a bad thing, Rose," Hugo replied to his sister, no guilt whatsoever in his eyes. "I left when I was eighteen years-old to follow my career path, he can't blame me for that, can he? Mum and him encouraged it for years before I left Hogwarts, it was practically their choice."

"And you've been in France ever since, mate." Speaking for the first time, intrigued and secretively happy that his cousin was back, James Potter gave his opinion. "I think they sort of expected you to come back, but instead you stayed there, dragged Boot over, and eventually took Artie with you."

From his seat next to Lucy, Artie shook his head. "Oi, for the last time, I left by my own accord. Hugo had nothing to do with it. I actually ended up finding the git and his girlfriend one day when I was sleeping at a pub."

Lucy narrowed her eyes at her little brother. (Well, not so little anymore, she figured. He was about thirty years-old now.) "Why _did _you leave, Artie? You never said."

The redhead man sighed with a shrug as Hugo gave him a 'go on, tell them' kind-of look. "I dunno, Luce, it's complicated," Artie said. "I just wanted to travel the world, do absolutely bloody nothing for a while, but obviously Dad wouldn't have that. So I just took off, found my own way."

"Yeah, but _you _came back from time to time," Rose spoke again, sounding a little agitated as she turned from Artie to her brother. "He came, Hugo. He was here when Molly gave birth to Sidney, when Lucy had Elinor—he was there for his sisters. You weren't there for me. I missed you terribly. I just...I can't understand why you didn't even visit. You met my children because I took them to you."

Hugo gave out another heave, not really knowing how to feel at the look Rose was giving him. On one side, he figured he should feel guilty, but on the other, he didn't _want _to feel bad for this. "I'm the Charms professor at Beauxbatons , Rose, I was really busy. Teaching takes up a lot of time, especially at a school that you live in."

Feeling sympathetic for her long-term boyfriend, Olivia Boot squeezed his hand from underneath the table, a sign for him to calm himself and breathe. "It's honestly true, he never has time for anything; not even to see me," she said to the crowd listening to them. "There were plenty of times when our relationship came to an end because he was never around."

Also present among the throng of Weasleys and Potters, new and old, Evanna Weasley, nee Nott, nodded in support of her friend. "It's why they haven't married. Which is understandable, you never know where their relationship is going to end up at."

Lily laughed at his cousin's wife's comment. "Way to be so optimistic about their relationship, Evanna."

The dark-haired woman rolled her eyes, snorting as the others laughed too. "Well, I'm sorry if I'm being offensive, I'm just brutally honest."

"It's alright, Lils," Hugo said from his seat, a flickering smile on his pale face. "Olivia and I are aware of the complications of our relationship, but we try every day to move past them because we love each other."

Olivia Boot nodded, still holding on to Hugo's hand. "We've been together for more than fifteen years, that doesn't go unnoticed. We do try."

Just as a moment of silence had taken over the table, some sharing smiles, others proceeding to drink their pumpkin-juice, Violet headed towards the adults to interrupt. "Mum!" She called, speeding up her pace. "Mum, some people just apparated into the kitchen and I have no idea who they are."

Lily, along with the others, looked at the girl in confusion.

Violet rolled her eyes. "Well, they're obviously not great-Grandmum Molly's friends or people she was expecting, are they? She took off with Grandmum Ginny an hour ago, she wouldn't be so impolite to just _leave_. She's old, but not that old."

From his wife's left side, making movement for the first time in a while, Liam Greengrass stood from his chair. "I'll go see who it is, Vi—"

"Well, I never suspected the Weasleys to be such horrible hosts." Liam was cut-off as a tall woman appeared from behind Violet, causing a few gasps as her noble face sparkled in the rays of the sun. "Or friends for that matter."

"Oh, my god!" Standing fast from her chair, Rose headed towards the woman with a giant apologetic expression. "I honestly forgot you were coming in today, Grace! I'm so sorry!"

And just as squeals broke out from Evanna and Olivia, and even Nia who reacted a second later, Lily Luna seemed to shrink in her seat at the sight of the woman; a cold sensation running over her skin as she could hear the woman guffaw wonderfully.

Gracen Goyle, standing tall and gorgeous, kind and elegant, appeared for the first time in years.

"Merlin, Gracen!" Liam laughed so whole-heartedly, making his way to his old friend, his ex-girlfriend, with so much happiness. A glow was present in his eyes, that exact reflection that had been there for years ever since Lily handed him to her.

"Liam," Gracen copied his exact gleefulness, "you don't change one bit, do you?" They got closer, arms around each other quicker than what Lily could blink. "Oh, I've missed you."

"I've missed you just as much," Liam replied, squeezing the woman tight as Evanna tried to pull the woman away, wanting to embrace her best friend too.

Lily swallowed emotions from the past that were starting to come up her throat, trying to fight their way up to relive things she had long put behind her.

"…You don't change one bit, Lils." Feeling the outline of a whisper on her ear, Lily found Hugo's eyes staring directly into hers as she looked up. "Please don't tell me you still hate her, Lils, it's been years."

The redhead narrowed her eyes at her cousin, shaking her head a little as she turned her eyes again towards her husband; who let the woman go but still held on to her hand. "I don't hate her, not anymore," she said with a twisted murmur, but her words were true. "I'm just….I didn't know….I hadn't expected to see her."

"Or that your husband would react the way he always has when it comes to _her_?" Hugo added, still looking knowingly at his cousin. "Come on, Lils, don't go there."

Lily crossed her arms, a tingle of anger seeping into her blood system. "No, Hugo," she hissed at him, "I don't hate Gracen. I don't care about the way Liam reacts to her."

"_Then_?"

"It's more," Lily responded to his question, both of them now watching as the others greeted the woman. "It's the fact that…I could have had nothing, nothing that I have now if it wasn't for her." Her voice was soft. "Liam was falling in love with her, Hugo, he really was. And I can't pretend like that wasn't true. I pushed him to it all those years ago. But Gracen…she stepped aside when she knew how much in despair I was, how I wanted to redeem myself.

"I am grateful, Hugo, that's what I am."

And at that, at that tiny smile that passed through his cousin's lips, Hugo grinned and squeezed her arm. "I am proud, Lily. That's what I wanted to hear." He chuckled once, and then swooped her off her seat. "Oi, Lils, look who it is!"

Turning away from Al's conversation, Gracen's attention turned to the two redheaded cousins. "Lily," she smiled that beautiful smile; a true one at that, "look at you, beautiful as ever."

Lily smiled at her too, joining her husband in front of the newly-arrived woman. And after saying a greeting of her own, Liam taking her hand in his, she said to Gracen, "Have you met our daughter?"

Violet turned red as the strange woman turned to her, beaming. "Um, hello," she spoke in a shy voice, sounding embarrassed. "I'm sorry for not introducing myself back there, you sort of scared the magic out of me. But, anyway, I'm Violet."

Gracen laughed. "She has your eyes, Liam," she said as she inspected the thirteen year-old girl in front of her. "But, without a doubt, she looks just like her mother did at her age, if I remember well."

Violet knitted her brows a bit. "But I'm much prettier, right? I mean, Granddad Harry has a few pictures of Mum, and honestly, not the best sight."

Liam rolled his eyes at his daughter, and Lily gave her a playful shove.

"But, anyway, that was rude of me, wasn't it?" Violet added, scowling at her mother for the hit as she turned to Gracen. "Are you going to leave your husband in the living room all day? I'm pretty sure he wants some of this excellent greeting you got."

"_Wait!_" Evanna was heard through the little crowd. "You brought him here, Gracen? Here out of all places?"

At the not missed secret running between the two graduated Ravenclaws, Al Potter raised his eyebrow and voiced the question everyone surely had. "Is something wrong with the bloke?"

Nia nodded with Al, eyeing Gracen the same way in question. "Or, what, is there something wrong with _us_? It's been years, Gracen, it's about time you introduced us to your husband! We are friends, are we not?"

"I just don't want you to hate me." Gracen whispered, all of that previous happiness withering away as she looked at Nia.

But before further conversation could go on, or anymore questions were asked, a man exited the backdoor of the Burrow; followed by two boys that reflected his younger self. Two boys that resembled him, but also held features that were easily recognized as a part of Gracen as well.

Another wave of shock took over the group, but this one more of hesitance than surprise.

"You married Octavio De la Cruz?" Lily breathed, eyes gaping.

And just as she said it, Octavio, another ghost from the past, stopped next to Gracen; taking her hand into his and their fingers lacing as he smiled politely at all the faces staring at him with something not so friendly. "_Buenas tardes," _he said in his native tongue.

Gracen Goyle—or should one correct: Gracen _De La Cuz_—looked half-heartedly at all the eyes staring back at her; trying to revive the smile she had on when she first came into the garden. "These are our sons, Gregory and Javier."

"…_Greg_." One of the boys, the eldest-looking one of them, correct his mother.

Silence.

So the ghosts of the past came back and multiplied, Lily laughed mentally at that. The idea of who was standing in front of her, both old flames of her and her husband now married to one another. She had always heard that the world was a small one, but it wasn't until that exact moment that she believed it.

What other explanation could there be? How else would Gracen Goyle, so sweet and so heartbroken, could have found a spark of love with Octavio De la Cruz, so intoxicating and so strange?

"Welcome." Ending the silence, surprising his wife from her thoughts, Liam stretched his hand towards the man. "Please, sit."

Evanna raised a brow, turning to look at Rose and Al like she couldn't believe what she was seeing either. "Do something before this gets even more awkward," she whispered to the two.

Rose nodded. "Well, come on, then." She motioned the new family to the table. "We'll have some drinks, catch up while we are at it."

And as, reluctantly, one by one of them headed towards the table, Liam and Lily remained still in their place; their eyes meeting. "That's interesting."

Lily gave out a puff of a chuckle. "Quite," she replied to her husband, a little nervous. "It's fine, right?"

Liam smiled, shaking his head as he leaned down towards her. "I love you, Lily, so of course it is," he said to her gently as he kissed her in the next second.

Violet gagged in the background, turning away from them like it was the most unholy and grotesque thing she had ever seen.

"Now, go find Logan so he can entertain the De la Cruz' sons, please." Liam pulled away from Lily, giving her hand a squeeze as he did.

"Oh, can I go find Athena, Daddy?" And after her mother obliged and nodded to her father's request, Violet stretched on to her toes to look over towards the table. "I'm pretty sure she'll want to see them, they're quite handsome."

Shaking her head, laughing loudly as Liam frowned at his daughter, Lily headed towards the backdoor of the Burrow; pulling her daughter with her. "You want to give him a heart attack, Vi? You're too young."

"But they're cute, Mum," Violet replied, trying to look over her shoulder. "Especially that Greg, he sounded so mature and _wow_."

"—I suppose that runs in the family." Blockading the entrance to the door, a woman leered with sparkling black eyes at Lily, something malevolence spreading across her expression as she noticed the redhead's genuine alarm from her presence. "Lily, _mi amor_, it's been a long time."

"What are you doing here?" Lily asked, no hospitality in her tone as she did. "How dare you even be here?"

Ophelia De la Cruz chortled at the redhead's tone, the aggressiveness not bothering her one bit. "Oh, how I missed this place. Ah, look, I see your brother."

Lily frowned automatically. "Stay away from Al, Ophelia."

But pretending not to hear her threat, Ophelia made her way out of the door, that smirk still very much present on her face as the wind blew past her black hair. "Oh, memories, memories," she said with a mischievous voice, walking away without a look back.

And from where she stood, Lily saw Nia tense up instantly. Her blue eyes gaped as they noticed her own ghost heading towards her direction; floating towards her and the relationship that had been recreated after Ophelia had haunted it to smithereens.

* * *

><p><strong> AN: Dun, dun, dun! *cliffhanger music plays*<strong>

**Anyway - So, how many of you remember those stories that I sprinkled in there about the original Next Generation? (ie: Lily, Al, James, Rose...and everyone else.)**

**Well to summarize it for you all, just in case, Octavio and Ophelia De la Cruz were twins, new students to Hogwarts in "Here We Go Again." And created for the purpose to cause havoc, Ophelia got in between Al's relationship with Nia, his then girlfriend, and caused their breakup. (You know, because he CHEATED on her with the new girl.) And then, Lily found an interest in Octavio because he treated her like she was a _woman_, instead of the "alleged" way that Liam saw her; like a little girl still. (So on that part, Lily broke up with Liam; Liam started getting close to Gracen Goyle; the latter started liking him; Lily had a fling with Octavio; Liam found out, then started liking Gracen; Lily felt bad, and blah blah blah.)**

**And so now the rest continues!**

**I hope I didn't confuse many of you, but if I did, T. (It's the first chapter to guide you through.)**

** Thanks so much, as always! I love you all x**


	7. Someone's Little Girl

**Hometown Glory**

**Chapter Six: **Someone's Little Girl

"_A girl's father is the first man in her life, and probably the most influential." - David Jeremiah _

Stomp.

"This is ridiculous!"

Pace. Pace. Stomp.

"I mean, I was doing the right thing, right?"

Stomp. Pace. Pace.

"Forced to hide in the attic like I'm a child, ha!"

Pace. Pace. Stomp.

"How dare she put me in that spot? I am almost forty—_never mind_!"

Stomp. Stomp. Pace.

Clearing her throat from the furthest corner —a place she was secluded to as the stomping became much dangerously closer to her—Sidney Weasley watched with knitted eyebrows as a redheaded woman continued pacing and stomping on the floor like she was a teenage-girl throwing a tantrum.

"The fact here is, I'm a good person and she's mental!"

Again, Sidney cleared her throat, trying to make herself noticed in the ranting the woman was doing by herself. "Maybe—"

Stomp.

"No, I'll tell you what this is about!" Dominique interrupted the girl before she could even say anything. "This is about her always preferring Louis over me - _me_! I'm the best bloody thing that has ever happened to that woman! I mean, look at me! I'm brilliant!"

Stomp. Pace. Pace.

Sidney shook her head slightly, staring at the old floor beneath Dominique's feet; wondering when was the last time her great-grandparents repaired it, and if they hadn't, how long would it last from all of Dominique's stomping until it crumbled down?

"I did the right thing, didn't I? I put that stupid git in his place—he was acting like a sodding kid!" Dominique continued, shouting to whatever was around the room as she paced once more. "How could he order the gnomes in the garden to attack poor Abel like that? He did the idiot a favor by saving his precious daughter from falling from that tree he had sent her up in the first place!"

Again, Sidney opened her mouth to say something but was cut across before she could even figure out what she was going to say.

"So Abel and Kendra fancy each other? _Big deal! _It's puppy-love, he swears that two fourteen year-olds are thinking about the rubbish his perverted mind did when he was their age!"

At that comment, Sidney said nothing. Instead her knitted eyebrows were now more of a confused expression than an awkward one mixed with worry. (How come she never noticed that the newest-adopted addition and Kendra liked each other?)

"Oi, oi, oi!" Dominique snapped her fingers, a sort of comprehension passing over her features. "How can Mum be mad at me for sending that beehive straight to Louis' head when I actually _spared _his life?!"

And once more, Sidney's facial expression turned to a confused one. (How exactly was it saving his life? The beehive was infested with killer bees, it was on fire, and she actually did send it to his head. Sidney could hear the screams from the attic before Dominique even came up and began her rant.)

"Yeah, think about it! Aunt Ginny went to go find Lily to tell her that thickheaded-Louis had attacked her adoptive-child. Which, obviously, means that Lily would have murdered my little brother on her enraged motherly-instincts if _I _hadn't gotten to him first!" She paused, a maniacal laughter escaping her lips. "Ha! Bet mummy dearest didn't think of that before she started scolding me and went to go fetch dad!"

Sidney _humph_-ed silently to herself, finally understanding why Dominique was here in the first place. It was because of Bill Weasley. It all made sense now. Because usually, since she was in diapers according to the adults, Dominique defies her mother in every which way, but every time it came to Bill doing the punishing, Dominique went hiding to the deepest parts of the world if she could.

"That's it! I am right, she is wrong! Dad will understand that his baby veela-boy is an idiot and I defended an innocent!" Again, Dominique laughed and shook her head to herself, finally stopping her stomping as she turned to the girl in the corner. "Thank you for the great advice, Sid, you're amazing as always."

And the redhead's stomps carried all the way towards the little door to exit the attic; not turning back and taking her crazy with her.

Sidney sighed, relief washing over her.

It was insane the lack of space one had in a spiraling house like the Burrow, there was a room in every floor, a shed in the garden, and yet they were _always _everywhere. (Though, she supposes it didn't help that Rose had gathered the entire lot to help with her silly preparations.) It was like trying to escape dust in an old, forgotten room - like the attic, where Dominique had found her.

Sidney was a simple girl, easy to understand. She liked to be alone all the time, she liked the quiet, and she liked to keep away from anything that wasn't a part of her own little world. She had no time to deal with everyone else's clutter and clanking, it just gave her a headache. She understood that for many having fun, being loud, blowing things up were necessary for surviving - they just weren't hers.

When everyone was gathered together, playing their games, gossiping with one another, Sidney was in a room somewhere, whether in her own home or a cousin's bedroom in theirs, listening to music from that handy muggle-device that she got for Christmas and just sounded everything out.

That was her thing, sounding everything out; secluding herself from the noise.

Putting in one headphone into her right ear, she pressed the little play button of her device; continuing where she had left off before her mental first-cousin stormed in.

"…._But like everything I've ever known_," she sang along with the music, so softly, _"you'll disappear one day, so I'll spend my whole life hiding my heart away._"

Right on the next few seconds, as she let the soft melody play insider her ear, the past lyrics tugging at her insides, Sidney flicked her eyes upward on time to notice another redhead opening the door to her solitaire.

"Oh, Sid! I didn't see you, I'm sorry." (Like she said, they were _everywhere_.)

There was a silence.

The redhead cleared her throat, looking uncomfortable as Sidney stayed silent and looking blank. "…Um, I'll - I'll just go?"

"Wait," Sidney sighed, speaking before the girl left the attic and she felt like a bitch. "Rory, it's fine. You don't have to go."

"Are you sure? I don't want to disturb." And even as she said this, her facial expression looked thankful to be able to stay in the one room no one else would come into; as Sidney had heard so many times before, something about a ghoul that was probably dead that Ron had left years ago. (Though, it seemed, she was clearly mistaken.)

Sidney had given Rory a tiny forced smile, an awkward one at that, and then turned back down to look at her device.

Rory stared at her from the corner of her eye, grabbing an old chair and _Witch Weekly _magazine from the floor. A few questions about her second-cousin flowing through her head as she did, wondering so many things silently that she always wished Sidney would give her an answer about.

But that was the thing, though. No one asked Sidney anything, everyone just let her be and do whatever it is that she did. No one ever asked. No one ever knew. And every time Rory would get curious, or any of the others of why she was the way she was, one of the adults always said to leave her alone and to mind their business.

"Rory, you okay?" Clearing her throat, catching the weird far-away stare that she was getting from one of Freddie and Evanna's twins, Sidney spoke up.

Rory coughed once, feeling embarrassed as she gave the girl a solemn nod. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Sidney raised her eyebrow, not convinced. "…Is something the matter?"

"No, everything's fine," Rory responded quickly.

"You're lying," Sidney told her second-cousin straightforwardly, not really caring for the awkwardness of it all. "You fiddle with your fingers when you're lying or have too much on your mind, Rory."

Rory stopped playing with the hem of her dress, and started tapping her foot; not saying anything.

"You don't have to tell me, mind you." (And, oh, how she hoped that she wouldn't.)

"It's Riley," Rory whispered sadly, apparently not reading her cousin's expression to get out and leave her in her silence. "She's been upset with me ever since the Rowle and Bliss thing happened….because I didn't defend her, or help when Dad started yelling at her."

Sidney raised an eyebrow. "How did she expect you to stick up for her, she did a horrible thing."

Rory nodded slowly, almost hesitantly. "I know," she mumbled in a tone that suggested she didn't want to agree, "but she says we're twins, that I should have stuck up for her…She says I'm not a very good sister because I let her take the fall by herself, and that twins don't do that.

"….She's been especially angry lately, I just - I just don't like being in the same room with her sometimes, you know? Like…I want to be there for her, but she says so many….she just doesn't watch her words or her actions, sometimes…."

Trying her hardest not to snort, because basically Rory did not want to be her sister's lap-dog but did it anyway, yet Riley accused her of being a horrible sister, though _she _was the foulest, Sidney nodded once at her cousin.

Rory let out a puff of strangled air, her fingers fiddling with each other as she looked down at them. "S-She did the wrong t-thing, Sid, why can't I make her s-see that?"

At the sound of tears, of desperation and hopelessness, Sidney felt instantly uncomfortable. She had hoped that Rory would get whatever she had on her chest out and figure out her own advice and just let her sit there, just like Dominique had prior.

Rory sniffled, her fingers twisting faster. "But she's a good person, S-Sid, she really is." That was a lie, Sidney determined by her hand motions; something she desperately wanted to believe about her other half. "A-And I love her _s-so _much….but I-I…I just don't know."

Sidney sighed to herself, forcing a part of her to come out that wasn't there. "Listen, Rory, I get that you love Riley—you sort of have to, you know, she is your sister and all. But, look, that doesn't mean you should, um, deal with the things she puts you through."

Rory stopped playing with her fingers, but she continued to sniffle as she looked up at her cousin; a little surprised.

"Riley is so used to lashing out on people and them taking it, especially you. But what she, erm, did to Bliss, none of the lot is going to forgive that that easily. I mean, sure, they're all jealous prats as they come…but no one wanted to see Bliss so heartbroken, or know that one of the lot was capable of putting another into the place…

"She has to learn from her mistake, for always talking without thinking….And _you _have to stop taking it, Rory…I understand that a twins' bond is unbreakable and all, _fine_, but you're not her slave or punch-bag, you're her sister."

There was another moment of silence and Sidney hoped she did alright - with the whole helping her cousin out, saying the right thing as actual 'advice' and all.

But before she could figure out if she did, a _creak _pushed the door open of the attic; another person walking into the old dusty room.

"I was looking for you." In all of her angered glory, Riley stood by the entrance with her arms crossed; a frown on her face. "I told you to meet me in Granddad's shed, Rory."

Riley's twin lowered her head a fraction, not responding or looking at her sister.

"You never listen," Riley huffed like she was speaking to a child. "But, anyway, I need you to go find dad for me. I saw him drinking with Granddad George in the garden, I think it's the right time for you to talk to him and get him to get over whatever he is on."

Sidney turned to Rory and then, "_No_," came from her mouth before Sidney could blink.

Riley raised her eyebrow, a vein on her forehead ticking. "Excuse me?"

"No," Rory repeated, shaking her head as she still refused to look at her twin. "I'm not going to talk to Dad, Riley. I-If you want his forgiveness then…you go talk to him."

"You're my sister, Rory, you're supposed to—"

"_Riley_?" Interrupting the girl, who was taking furious steps towards her sister, Sidney spoke up before a tragedy could happen and Riley could make her situation worse.

Blinking, a little startled, Riley narrowed her eyes at Sidney, looking at her like if she was wondering where the hell she had come from; obviously she hadn't noticed her before.

"Have you ever thought about, like Rory said, just doing it _yourself_?"

Riley's frown deepened. "I'm sorry, Sid, was I talking to you?" She snapped instantly. "This is between my sister and I. Now, if you weren't the only child, you'd know how this works. Rory and I do favors for each other all the time, and this is just one more. One more that does not involve you, so _shush_."

Rory lowered her head even more, and Sidney was pretty sure those 'favors' were orders and Riley did all the commanding.

"Or," again, Sidney cut in; buying Rory some time so she could find her Gryffindor-courage and stand up to her sister's Slytherin-tongue, "you can give Freddie some time, you know?"

Riley kept her glare on her cousin. "I don't have anymore time," she said through her clenched teeth. "The family's getting more and more conflicted with what happened, and I'm tired of it."

"But they'll get over it, Riley, they always do."

"And you would know that how?" Riley hissed at Sidney, shutting her up. "Don't pretend to know anything about any of us, _Sid_, because you really don't know how this family works!"

"I know—"

"Rubbish! You know rubbish, Sidney!" Now it was Riley's turn to interject. "You spend all your time avoiding us, walking away from us whenever we call you over and acting like you didn't hear us!

"What do you know, Sidney - _what_? I'm surprised you memorize any of our names at the rate you interact with us. But you tell me, how well do you know us, then? How long will this take to blow over, hmm?"

Sidney swallowed her shame, not really being able to contradict any of that because it was true. "…I…I'm just trying to tell you that I understand."

Riley laughed a mocking sound. "Understand _what_, Sid?"

"That you're…hurt that your dad's mad at you, I get that." Sidney spoke, clearing her throat, pushing an inflamed strand of hair behind her ear. "But, Riley, you don't think before you speak sometimes - and, yeah, I know that it hurts when your dad's looking at you like he is—"

"No, you don't know how much it hurts!" Riley screamed, not even letting her cousin finish as she spat more of her venom. "YOU DON'T HAVE A FATHER!"

Rory stood up from the old chair, looking shocked and her gasp following the echoes of her twin's shout; the words drowning the room with their meaning.

Sidney's eyes watered instantly with tears of her deepest nightmares, something inside shattering.

And almost like a miracle, or a freak moment, Riley looked a little stunned with what she had said. " I..."

But the rest was unheard as Sidney headed out the room.

**X**

She knelt down beside him, holding a small cloth and a potion-remedy on either of her hands as she did. Her blue eyes looked incredibly guilty and slightly shy as she reached over carefully, taking Abel Greengrass' arm. "This will sting a bit," she told him quietly, dabbing the potion with the cloth and giving him a second to prepare himself.

But Abel did not blink, did not even wince when she rubbed the potion onto the cut skin of his arm, or when it began to throb and burn. Instead he watched her eyes, a little mesmerized by them; the way they glowed an unrealistic shade of blue.

"I'm really sorry about this, Abel," Kendra Weasley told the boy, chewing on her bottom lip as she concentrated on healing his scrapes and bites. "Dad can be…well, his mind's a bit faulty. At least that's what my Aunt Dom says."

Abel gave her a single nod.

Kendra blinked, inhaling a puff of air, and then blinked up to look at the boy; a soft smile on her lips. "Thank you."

"For?" He asked, captivated a little more as he got a full-blast of her gaze.

She kept her smile, but said nothing. The two just stared at each other, the moment of silence so bashful and delicate.

A moment that didn't last long as someone invaded the living room of the Burrow - three boys coming in from the garden, laughing and shoving each other as they headed towards the spiral staircase. None of them really paying attention to the two fourteen year-olds in the corner.

"—This is going to be wicked! I heard you can do anything with that thing!" Orion Potter said to his two cousins.

"Anything, _anything_?" Lynx Malfoy retorted, reaching over and snatching the metallic-square Orion had clutched to him. "Because I've seen some pretty mental things, I doubt this…thing can compete."

Rolling his eyes at the punch Orion had just sent Lynx, Neo Potter took the square from Lynx before he could drop it. "Settle yourselves, alright? Molly will tear us apart if we break her…thing."

And as they began to climb the staircase, the three boys smiled humorously as they spotted Sidney walking down. "Oi, Sid! Want to join us? Your mum let us borrow her computing-thing!"

But Sidney did not respond, instead she practically shoved Neo out of the way; trudging her way down the rest of the steps and marching her way towards the backdoor.

"What the hell was that?" Neo asked.

An excited expression crossed Lynx. "Forget that thing, let's go!" He said to the other two, grabbing them by their sleeves and dragging them back towards the garden.

The shining-sun hit Sidney across the face, making her eyes hurt a bit from the dim light she had been getting from the attic for all those hours. She kept marching her way through despite that, ignoring Al and Nia who were both by the bushes, arguing about something, no doubt, since his wife had tears in her eyes and he looked upset - but on with it she went.

There was something thumping with so much pain inside of her, so much hurt and neglect. Like a never-ending ache that shocked the layers of her skin, that gripped her bones, that rampaged all the cells floating inside her body. It was _everything_, that pain. Everything she held inside, everything she tried to push away.

But now she couldn't, she couldn't control it anymore.

"No, a little higher, James, you idiot."

She needed answers.

"Higher! Are you not listening to me?" Molly Weasley II was glaring at her cousin, smacking him on the head with her wand as he wouldn't levitate the canopy of flowers the way she wanted to. "You see, this is why Rose and Scorpius put you in charge of handling the guests because you're rubbish at everything else!"

"Oi, look here, Molly, I am helping you because Mum said I had to! If you don't bloody like it, do it your bloody self!"

Ginny Potter took out her own wand and smacked her son with it. "How many times do I have to tell you not to curse in front of the children?" She threw another smack at him when Harriet and Evan, her eight year-old grandchildren smirked up.

Molly rolled her eyes, pushing James out the way. "Never-mind, I'll—" She paused, in one of her blinks catching sight of her daughter stopping next to her. "Ah, Sid, dear, help me with this, please."

But Sidney did not move, her feet were stuck to the grass; her heart pounding with all those emotions she had bottled up for so long.

"Sid, I'm talking to you," Molly said to her daughter, raising an eyebrow. But as the girl did not respond again, she concentrated a little more and noticed glistening tears in her daughter's eyes. "What happened, Sidney?" She asked worriedly, forgetting all about the canopy. "What's wrong?"

"You're wrong," Sidney said through a knot of emotions, the end of her nose burning as she tried keeping in those tears. "You're what happened."

Molly kept her eyebrow risen. "_What_?"

Sidney inhaled a shaky puff of air. "…W-Why don't you want to tell me who he is, my father?" It cost her so much to ask the question, but she had to. She had to get it out. "Who is he, Mum?"

Feeling like she had been slapped on the face but was determined to hold her ground, Molly cleared her throat and tried not to blink. "…We are not talking about this, Sidney," she said in a harsh murmur, not trying to add more attention to them as she already noticed a few others turning. "Now, go back into the Burrow and help your great-grandmother with dinner."

And then something snapped. "Then when are we going to talk about it?!" She shouted, the ripple of pain coming out and manifesting itself. "When are you going to stop acting like I'm a child instead of an adult and talk to me!"

Her mother narrowed her eyes. "Well, you're not really acting like an adult now, are you, Sidney?"

"I want to know, tell me!" Sidney snapped, ignoring her last bit. "Stop keeping me in the bloody dark and tell me! Tell me who he is!"

"I have given you everything, Sidney, _everything,_" Molly responded, her own insides igniting with fire. "You have a happy, healthy life, and that's all because of _me_…not him."

Sidney scoffed, her tears falling down. "You have secluded me, that's what you've done!" She retorted. "You've made me into what you were at my age, don't think that I can't see that! But instead of pretending to fit in with them, you took away my father! You cast me out by throwing me into the images of happy families! Into something that I _don't _have because of you!

"What am I supposed to do, mother? Wait 'til I leave Hogwarts so I can runaway and live a muggle-life like you did? Like you've been doing all these years?"

Molly took a step back, feeling like she had been slapped again but much more rougher. Her brown-eyes began to water, to burn as she could not recognize the girl in front of her, or where was all that coming from - but before she could even retaliate, someone stepped into the scene.

"Sidney," Teddy Lupin called in all of his parental mode, "that's no way to speak to your mother, alright. Go inside now."

The crying-girl shook her head, narrowing her eyes now at the man. "No."

Teddy sighed, copying her frown. "You have a right to question things, Sidney, but you don't have a right to be ungrateful," he spoke with a strict tone, no sugar-coating tone. "Your mother has done so much for you, by herself. And when she hasn't, when she couldn't at times, we have been there for you…._I _have been there for you.

"…I was there from the moment you were born…The first time you got sick. When you were three and got lost, who helped Molly scout the streets of London? I was there, Sidney, to take you to your muggle-school everyday, to pick you up when traffic was terrible and Molly couldn't make it. And even at the times when I haven't, your uncles have; Freddie, James, Al, or Louis have been there…Your Granddad Percy and great-grandfather…You've _never _been left alone….

"I…I have treated you like my own, Sidney. You have been like my own—"

"I don't want a borrowed father!" Sidney interrupted Teddy, another fresh batch of tears rolling down her cheeks.

Teddy shook his head. "It's not like that, Sid. I have never seen it like—"

And again, the torn-down girl interrupted him with a heartbreaking, "YOU ARE NOT MY FATHER!" Teddy was automatically silenced, no spark of wanting to make the situation left in his body as he shut his lips in a tight line; an expression of wretchedness crossing his face.

Molly gasped, a flood of shame and disappointment entering her body as she looked at her daughter with incredulous eyes.

"I am not Glorie or Angelique, am I?" She whispered to them, to all those staring at her, but mainly to her mother and Teddy. "…I'm not yours, so stop…._stop _acting like it."

At the loud silence that had taken over the garden and the small group out there, Ginny Potter stepped in, putting an arm around Molly who looked ready to crumble at everything her daughter kept saying. "Why don't you go inside now, Sidney? This isn't the place or time for this."

Sidney sucked in more air, her tears not stopping. "There is never a time or place for it," she said to her aunt, spinning on her heels and heading back to the Burrow; a place she did not want to be.

She knew, somewhere deep inside her sensible side, that she _had _taken it too far. That maybe the words she said, the things she reproached her mother for, the way she spoke to Teddy weren't right, but they never listened. She had been carrying around those questions for seventeen years, and she couldn't contain it anymore.

She couldn't keep pretending like she belonged, or like she wanted to. She was different from all of them, she knew it and they did too. They just all went along with the picture-perfect, modern twist of a family Molly wanted Sidney to live with.

But enough was enough, and the bottle broke from an overflow.

She wasn't anyone's, she was half of something, and that's why she hid.

"Move over," Lynx muttered frantically to Orion and Neo, shoving them to the side so they could give Sidney pass and her tornado of anger wouldn't catch them.

And as Sidney past them, not sparing them a look, she also ignored a redhead with a completely guilty-expression; looking sorry for the first time in her life. "…Sid, wait."

But Riley was ignored—the truth was out there now, and Sidney Free Weasley didn't want to be a part of them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: :'(<strong>

So sad, but needed to happen. Mhm.

Well summarize characters really quick:

1. Sidney is Molly's daughter.

2. Riley and Rory, twins, daughters of Freddie and Evanna.

2. Lynx, Rose and Scorpius' son

3. Kendra, Louis and Coral's daughter

4. Neo is Al and Nia's son

5. Orion, James and Emily's son

6. Abel Greengrass, adopted by Lily and Liam.


	8. In A Blink Of An Eye

**Hometown Glory**

**Chapter Seven: **In A Blink Of An Eye

"_It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't." - Barbara Kingsolver._

He should have gone home, he knew it. He should have his listened to his mother, should have followed his father's pursuit as he suggested a new project for the joke-shop that he was planning with Uncle George, he should have gone with Kendra after she announced that some of the lot where going off to the house, that damned Abel Greengrass with them; and he had been meaning to tell the kid to back off his sister, but Maxim Weasley never listened - _ever_.

But besides that, he guesses this is his fault. Everything seems to be so nowadays. So as he tiptoes around the highest level of the Burrow, away from the remaining people left in the old house, Maxim opens the door of an old room with perfect care and barely any noise.

"…In here, quick." He whispered, opening the door completely after making sure there was no one there. He moves to the side, his back pressed against the door as he waits. "…Come on, quickly."

Entering the room, with an expression of worry and anger, Dustin Rowle carried in a girl; rushing her towards the single-sized bed at the opposite end of where the door was.

And coming right behind him, motioning Maxim to go on, Rex Rowle made sure there was no one on that floor before closing the door silently.

"Rex, the flask, mate." Dustin called out hurriedly, fixing the girl on the bed as he had laid her body in an awkward position.

And in less than a millisecond, Maxim watched with a pounding heart and mortified eyes as his cousin lifted the girl a few inches off the mattress, making her head sink back as he pulled down on her chin; making her drink the potion inside the flask.

Just as he did, just as the last single drop of potion left the flask, the girl started convulsion-ing; her body shaking with a spasm that Dustin had to leap off the bed. All three wizards stared at her, their eyes glued to the girl as she continued to shake repeatedly.

Maxim felt like he was going to faint; Rex narrowed his eyes, chewing on his fingernails as he watched nervously; and Dustin looked at the girl with no expression on his face, but his emerald-eyes gleamed with the turmoil inside of him.

And then she stopped shaking just as quickly as she had began, and her body glowed with a blue hue as her back fell on the mattress immobile.

Taking a cautious step forward, his heart still pounding, Maxim turned to the redheaded man in the room. "…Is she alright?"

"Now you care if she's alright!" Not expecting Dustin's sudden outburst, Maxim's side collided with the small nightstand by the bed. "This is all _your _fault!"

Maxim kept stuck by that nightstand, feeling instantly frightened and overwhelmed as the fury inside his cousin jumped up at him and punched him repeatedly on the face. "I…I didn't…"He paused, sucking in air as his eye-sockets began to burn. He kept silent for a few more seconds, trying to contain the tears that wanted to push themselves out, but he had no luck. He couldn't control them as long as Dustin was giving him that look of anger, of hate, of disappointment. "…I'm sorry.." He murmured so brokenheartedly.

Dustin rolled his eyes, looking disgusted as he turned back to the girl on the mattress. "Yeah, like your sorry helps."

And knowing that it didn't, Maxim looked down at the floor of the room as he felt a single teardrop slide out of his right eye.

Even though it didn't help with anything, Maxim _was _sorry - Maxim had been sorry for as long as he could remember. He never wanted any of that to happen, he never wanted this situation to have occurred; especially if it was something that he had caused.

"…Come on, Devon, come on." Dustin murmured, grabbing a hold of his sister's limp hand as she still didn't move.

They were both the same age, Devon and him, born one month a part, both with different personalities: she was poised all the time, able to crack a joke but preferred to give out the intimidating-factor; he was loud, annoying, was hardly serious, and did everything on a whim, but they were more than cousins, they were best friends. (Though he'd never admit it willingly to anyone else, because, come off it, who's best friends with their _cousin_?) He loved her very much, like a sister without the ferocity like how he cares for Kendra, but something that allowed her to be his partner-in-crime.

They were both fourteen, so careless and on a flare of rebellion when it happened, when it all began. They were running away from the embarrassing argument her mother, Dominique, and his father, Louis, both were having in the middle of the Leaky Cauldron when they bailed - taking the chance to explore the glorious streets of London unsupervised.

It was like a once in a lifetime adventure, like their world was much different now that they were in a different territory, and so they stumbled into a fantasy place when they walked through the crowds of muggles; admiring every bit like they weren't from there, like they were two runaway tourists enjoying the sights for the very first time. And after an hour or two of walking around like they tripped into something more magical than the world they came from, that's when they made a wrong turn in a wrong alley at the wrong time.

They were friendly, those other teens with their casual conversation, smiles, and curiosity, but they also handed the monster, a trap, to him and Devon. It was like their inviting presence, the fact that they were _muggles _and they had never actually befriended any of those in their bubble of wizardry, deceived them from the very start; they should have known that things were different in both worlds and for a reason.

It was that awkward and unsure look exchanged by him and his cousin, the way it took a minute or two to actually figure out what to do, when they ignored their judgment and went to grab for what those muggles offered. And if it had felt like they were in a different world, what they took made them feel like the air was magnificent, like they were floating despite the magic in their blood.

It became addictive, those things. It was like a want, like their skin just itched to go back, and so they did; that entire summer holiday they'd find a way out of their seclusion of the Wizarding community and found their ticket to London. Then, before they even knew how or what, that summer holiday ended, but they found themselves back the next one and the next - but then Maxim had enough.

The only one who didn't seem to agree with that, the only one with ways to obtain those substances somehow was Devon. And alas, this is where they were now.

"…I've talked to her, you know," clearing his throat, making himself noticed again, though it hadn't been the brightest idea, Maxim murmured softly. "about quitting all that rubbish…I haven't touched that stuff for a while, Dustin, I swear."

Devon's brother looked up again, the same look on his face. "I don't care about you, Maxim." He spat so coolly. "I don't care what you're doing, all I care is for _her _to be better."

Maxim narrowed his blue-eyes, trying to hold in those other tears that wanted to follow the path that teardrop had taken. "…I didn't want this, honest…I'm s-sorry."

Dustin scoffed.

"Ease up there, Dust." Rex called from the background, stepping forward as he could see the tremendous guilt on the blonde's face. "This is a foolish mistake that two idiot kids made. Luckily, one is fighting through it, now we have to make Dev try too."

Dustin mumbled a curse about the 'fighter' while he still clutched onto his sister's hand.

Rex rolled his eyes, sighing. "Come on, mate. If Max and Dev were both in the same situation, or had it only been Max and Devon was standing in his place, you'd care."

And just in the moment that the redheaded bloke was about to retort something to that, his green-eyes glaring at the two behind him, the girl on the mattress blinked her eyes to life.

"….Stop it, Dustin." Devon stirred on the small bed, groaning a little as she pulled her hand away from her brother's. "You're making my favorite cousin cry, git."

Max smiled, relief washing over his features at the sound of her voice; at the sign of all her vitals going.

"Don't you see what's going on here?" Dustin ignored her, feeling a little outraged at her nonchalant tone. "Devon, you're addicted to this - this rubbish!"

Devon snorted, laughing silently as she rolled her eyes.

And finding no humor with that, Dustin glared at his sister. "We found you passed out with an empty bottle of Firewhiskey behind Granddad Arthur's shed, Devon. What if someone else would have found you? Mum for that matter?"

"Then it's a good thing my best brother did." Devon smiled at him, squeezing his hand that she used as leverage as she pulled her body into a sitting position. "Imagine the scandal that what have been?"

"This isn't funny, Devon." Her brother snapped instantly. "I'm not always going to be around to save your ass when things get out of hand…Nor will bloody Max either. What are you going to do then? Mum and dad will find out…sooner or later."

The redheaded girl raised her eyebrow, her dark-eyes, alike their father, zeroed in on his face. "…What?" she breathed with confusion, "What does that mean, Dustin? Are you going to tell mum? Are you going to rat me out?"

Dustin crossed his arms, staying silent for a second as panic rose in and out of the girl's chest. And finally, when he had given her enough time to hyperventilate, he answered her with an almost wretched, "…I'll be moving to America soon, Devon." It was a low whisper. "The Headmaster found me a teaching position in one of the schools - I'm not going to be here to save you, Devon, so please….save yourself."

"_What_!" Devon yelled, her usually quiet and composed demeanor breaking. "Are you mental?" She swatted his hand as he tried reaching for hers. "You're going to leave me, Dustin? In the moments when I'm always on something!"

"I thought you said you weren't an addict?" He retorted.

"I was lying," she shouted again, anger on her white face, "that's what addicts do!"

"- -Devon!" There was _a thump, thump, thump _from the outside. "Devon!"

And all those inside the room popped their eyes open, noticing that the blue-coloring from the sobering potion radiating from Devon's skin was there, and in fact, undeniable to pin-point what caused it.

The girl stared shockingly at the door, her chest heaving up and down in panic; Maxim closed his eyes, shutting them like if he couldn't see anything then that made him invisible; Rex cursed himself, bad timing to be between this affair; and Dustin stared at the door too, and his heart thumped along with the footsteps getting louder outside.

"- -Devon, are you up here?" _Thump. Thump_. "Devon! You were supposed to go with your stupid Uncle Louis- -" _Thump. Thump. _"Devon!"

And just as the creaks from the old floor outside were heard, Maxim leaped forward and knocked Devon off the bed; sending her towards the other side, face-flat on the ground as the door opened.

"Oh, Merlin- -"Dominique paused, jumping up once at the faces peering at her so randomly and quietly. "Dustin, what are you doing here, I thought you were going with Wood to his family's?"

Dustin cleared his throat, looking causally at his mother as he shrugged. "He hasn't seen his grandfather in a while, mum, you know they're really close. Quidditch blokes and all that, so I didn't want to disturb."

The redhead woman rolled her eyes. "Right. Like I didn't also find out that you and Rex are going out to the pubs again."

"He's brokenhearted, mum, he needs a distraction." Dustin replied quickly, watching with a glint of amusement as Rex turned red.

Dominique sighed. "Have you seen your- -"

"_Found it_." Coming up from the floor, Devon smiled brightly as she held a pearl-earring with her fingers; her skin now its original pale shade. "Oh, hey, mum."

"Where were you?" Dominique asked instantly, crossing her arms. "You were supposed to be off with Louis, remember? Your father and I are going to some bloody Ministry event for the Aurors tonight with Teddy and Victorie, and you know there's no one to watch over you."

Devon's expression went blank, almost annoyed. "I'm sixteen, mum, I don't need to be babysat."

Her mother let out a scoff. "That's the same thing I always told your Granddad Bill and I ended up pregnant with your brother." Dustin frowned, and the other two boys in the background laughed, but Dominique went on. "Now, unless Dustin wants to watch over you tonight instead of being off with Rex getting _drunk _- I suggest you pick a relative to go to."

"…You should let me stay alone tonight, mum…Might give me practice since Dust's not going to be around anymore." Devon murmured, crossing her arms as her brother rolled his eyes.

"What does that mean?"

"You should let him tell you, apparently he takes big decisions by himself now." Devon replied, walking from the other side of the bed and heading towards the door with a, "Max, let's go," and didn't turn back.

Taking the opportunity that exit gave, Rex scurried towards the door after giving his friend a good-luck thumbs-up; all while pulling himself away from the danger zone.

Raising her eyebrow, Dominique turned to her eldest child. "What's going on?"

Dustin sighed, shaking his head to himself. (Do something good for one of your siblings, expect to be kicked in the crotch as gratitude.) "…Alright," he breathed, taking the plunge as he looked directly into the green-eyes the woman had inherited him, "promise me you're not going to be mad, mum…."

**X**

Crash.

"I can explain!"

Crash.

"Seriously, I can!"

Crash.

"Oi! Are you mental, that almost got my head!"

Crash.

"Listen!"

Crash.

"This is not going to solve anything!"

Crash.

"- -_Protego_." And before the last flying-plate could hit the cowering man on the face, Bill Weasley appeared at the entrance of the kitchen of his mother's home, wand out and looking at the scene with a deep expression.

Standing on top of the old table, angry and inflamed like the color of her hair, Dominique Rowle turned to her father with a profound glare. "Stay out of this, dad!"

Bill narrowed his eyes at his middle child, dropping his wand as the man hiding behind one of the old chairs finally managed to grab the wand that had been blasted from his hand, no doubt. "You're destroying your grandmother's kitchen, Dominique. Can you honestly not see the disaster that's going to cause once she comes back from Narcissa Malfoy's house?"

"I don't care about Grandmum!" Dominique huffed. "All I want to do," she turned around, pointing a finger at the man that had so foolishly stayed in the room, "is murder him for destroying my family!"

"_Destroying_?" The man stood tall, his wand out in case he needed the defense as he frowned at the redhead. "I gave your son the opportunity he had been looking for all year. I don't know about you, Dominique, but that sounds like I enhanced your family."

"No one asked you to!" She retorted, not caring for the sensible side of the Headmaster of Hogwarts comment.

Sighing and shaking his head with resignation, Bill said to the man, "Thank you for coming and supporting the family through my niece's re-bonding ceremony, and I'm sorry for the…._inconvenience_, Neville."

Neville Longbottom nodded once at the man, exhaustion deep in his chest as he turned around to leave the disastrous mess the Burrow's kitchen was, and the Weasleys mental relative that Dominique was. (He was just much too old now to deal with a battle.)

"…Sure, reward that bastard." Dominique snapped, still standing on the table as her father pulled out one of the chairs; taking a seat. "You have no idea what he's done, dad!"

Bill laid his wand on the tabletop. "Of course I do, Dominique." He told her. "And so does your mother. Neville contacted us to discuss the opportunity that had rose for Dustin."

His daughter's jaw dropped, shock and a betrayal on her freckly face. " How could _you _- Why in Merlin's saggy left leg did he tell you two? I'm his mother!"

"Because you're irrational and unstable, Dominique." Bill said to his daughter with that honesty he always spoke to his children with. "Because this was a very important offer he was going to give Dustin, and he needed someone who _truly _wanted the best for him to look over the request before handing it to him."

Dominique crossed her arms, tapping her foot on the table. "And I suppose I - _the boy's ruddy mother _- didn't want the best for him?"

"Sit down, Dominique." Bill told her as soon as he sensed her irritation lightening up.

"I don't want to."

"Now." Bill said in his parental tone, his blue-eyes turning navy at his annoyance.

And so Dominique sat instantly on the tabletop, crossing her legs and her eyes forcing themselves not to frown as the man scooted his chair closer to her.

"If Neville would have come to you and Derrick with the offer he was about to give Dustin, what would you have done?" He asked her.

"I would have killed one of the Wizarding world's heroes in a heartbeat." She said with all honesty, crossing her arms tighter on her chest. "How dare he even accept an offer that could take _my _son away from me? He had no right to do so."

Bill stared solemnly at his daughter. "Because this wasn't about you, Dominique." She looked up at him, lips shut tight as she knew better than to interrupt him while he spoke. "This is about Dustin, about all his hard work.

"You know how hard he has been working to do something with his life, Dominique. Especially after wasting the first five years of his schooling trying to be what the rest of the other men in our family left behind, their stupid legacy of being morons. Why else did you think he asked and pleaded for a chance to go under Neville's teachings after he graduated Hogwarts last year?"

Dominique still frowned. "…Because he had ruddy exam marks, and no one would look twice at him."

"Exactly." He patted her knee. "Because he had no other choice, but he chose _not _to give up. He chose a different route, even though knowing that the Shop was always going to be there for him to work in. He decided to be his own man, Dominique. And because of that, because of his dedication, he got that offer to teach in the states."

Dominique bit her lip, eyes narrowing as she tried looking over her father's head as she tapped her fingers on her crossed arms. "…I don't want him to leave." She said through gritted teeth, not liking it one bit that she was starting to feel overly sensitive. "I want him to…stay with me forever."

"Every parent feels like that, Dominique, but that's part of life. That's the gist of being a parent, to let your kids go. Of course it's going to hurt when they- -"

"That's not true." She cut across him, staring at him on his scarred face. "You weren't like that with us," she then snorted, "well, not with me to be exact."

Bill rolled his eyes.

"I'm being serious." She told him honestly. "I saw you blubbering like how Uncle Ron gets after too much Firewhiskey the day Vic got married to Teddy. You even shed a tear when _Louis _left to move in a flat with his precious Coral McLaggen, and that was just wrong. I would have chucked the idiot out the door when he was born, but you got all sentimental about it and actually cared….But, no, not with me."

This time, Bill crossed his arms. "What do you want me to say, Dominique?" He looked expectantly at his daughter, an eyebrow raised. "You were a disaster since you started taking your first steps - which, I remember, you did running away to follow a unicorn that happened to cross Shell Cottage's yard.

"You've been a hectic mess all of your life, Dominique. Let's not mention that things you got yourself into while at Hogwarts, or even during the summers. You drove Fleur and I insane, you still do, in fact. You were just a headache, and then you went and got pregnant from Rowle when you were seventeen."

Dominique glared. "….Oh, sure, throw that at my face." She huffed.

"And who can forget the even bigger chaos you were during your pregnancy with Dustin?" Bill continued sincerely. " Or everything that came after that? Your Aunt Angelina swore you would end up giving me a heart attack and that would be the end of me. Not to mention taking your mum out in the process too, because you know how many nights Fleur went without sleep to look after you. And it wasn't until the day you finally packed your bags and left with Rowle that we found peace and quiet…."

The redheaded woman rolled her eyes, mumbling a curse. (Okay, so she was the mental child, tell her something new.)

"So tell me why," Bill reached for his daughter's hands, uncrossing her arms as he did, "I cried like a child that night, the night you left?" He kept his expression sober as Dominique's eyes flew wide. "Or every other past night that you were in pain? Or all those nights I put your mother to bed and I stood up until dawn worrying about you?"

She remained silent, a knot forming in her throat.

"…Because letting go of your children, Dominique, is hard." Her father said with the calmest voice she had ever heard him speak with when he talked to her. "But you prepare them for the day they can take off on their own, because that's what being a parent means. Because you raise them to believe in themselves, so they can survive on their own."

Dominique's eyes watered, her chin lifting up a few centimeters as she tried to contain her pride. "…But how will I know he'll come b-back?" Her voice squeaked towards the end.

Bill smiled, his scarred face stretching and glowing. "Because if he loves you, no matter how mental you are, he'll always need you. Because he will never truly leave."

Dominique laughed, shaking her head slowly as she clutched onto her father's hands. "…I stayed, daddy."

The oldest of the original Weasley children laughed roughly, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his daughter's forehead. "And sometimes I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad one," he said as he stood from the chair, "but it lets me sleep at night." And before he could turn and leave, he shot her another look. "Clean this mess up, Dominique, alright?"

The woman scowled, ready to whine.

"Now." Bill said in his commanding voice, and just as he headed out towards the living room, he added, "…Let him go."

And Dominique scowled deeper.

"…What does that old man know, anyway." She huffed to herself in a mumble as she jumped off the table; pointing her wand and quickly repairing the dishes she had smashed in her fury.

Peeking an eye around the corner, because the only exit to leave from was in the kitchen, Rex and Dustin were hiding against the wall as they watched the woman sneakily.

"…It's not safe." Rex mumbled to Dustin, shoving his back completely on the wall. "…She'll murder us."

Dustin turned to him, glaring. "…No, you dunce. She'll just murder _me_."

Rex Rowle smirked, chuckling silently. "…Oh, yeah." And then Dustin punched him on the chest swiftly. "…_Ouch _- obviously I'd take a curse for you, mate, damn."

"..There's no other way out, mate." Dustin mumbled defeated at his adopted-cousin. "..I got to face her one day."

"..You don't have to- -"

"Of course he has to, the idiot lives with me." Appearing at the corner where the two teenage boys hid, Dominique appeared with a dish at hand. "Or you thought you were saved because you're spending this week with your great-grandparents?" She asked her son.

Rex was about to bolt towards the spiral staircase when Dustin held onto his collar, shoving him between him and his mother. "We were, ah, just going to….I told you about the…." He paused t clear his throat. "There was that pub but….I suppose - I'll just go back to Uncle Percy's old room and just sleep."

Rex nodded furiously in agreement, trying to push away from his Uncle Derrick wife's personal space. "I agree, I'm going to do the same. Dad must be worried about me."

Dominique rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as the dish hid behind her back. "Your father's in Peru, Rex, and trust me, he is not thinking about you right now."

"That's harsh." Rex frowned. "I know I'm adopted, but, _oi_. I'm still the only child."

Ignoring the nineteen year-old 'child', Dominique looked at her son sternly; something glittering in her eyes as she did. "…You can go." She said after a moment of looking at her child's face.

"I - _what_?" Dustin knitted his eyebrows. "To the pub or….?"

"You're going to have to tell your father personally, mind you." Dominique ignored him, her expression serious. "You know how attached he is."

"…Because I'm going to the pub?" Dustin asked skeptically.

Dominique mumbled a curse and shook her head. "If you do what Hugo did, Dustin, and you don't come back at all, I'll make sure to come back as a poltergeist after I die and you'll never get rid of me."

"Sounds good to me- -" Rex flew towards the kitchen, grabbing Dustin by the arm and pulling him with him.

And just before the two disappeared out the door, Dominique caught a gleaming smile on her son's face, and that's when she knew it was definitely not about her.

* * *

><p><strong> AN: Hmm. I really liked the outcome of this chapter. <strong>

**I feel like it got a lot of different things going on: the drug addiction teens get into (magical or not!), the growing up, the wanting to turn your life around, the letting your kids leave home...**

**So summary of characters, shall we?**

**Dustin and Devon - obviously Dominique's kids**

**Maxim - Louis and Coral's**

**Rex Rowle - just like a friend.**

**And yes, Neville is the Headmaster of Hogwarts now. YAY! Lol.**


	9. Pure Potter Problems

**Hometown Glory**

**Chapter Eight: **Pure Potter Problems**  
><strong>

"_Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years." - Simone Signoret_

She was running down the spiral staircase, almost stomping on the steps as she panted her way down - she couldn't breathe. She didn't know how it happened, but she just couldn't. She was in a line with her cousins, all of them getting fitted for the dresses Rose was pleading for them to wear; and that's when it happened. When she was trying to act like everything was fine, but it wasn't.

She couldn't get any air, she felt her chest ache and tightened as she pretended to be the girl everyone was so used to, but she supposes that right there was her mistake. They no longer saw her as that girl they all knew, with the bright emerald eyes and contagious smile; they finally saw her scars and hurt. She couldn't keep pretending, she couldn't hold in her tears and look at her family like nothing that had happen happened.

She stormed into the living room, trying to head towards her great-grandmother's kitchen when she spotted a figure seated on her great-grandfather's armchair; reading his daily article of the _Daily Prophet_. "- -Running?" He blinked up from the paper, eyeing her calmly as she heaved from her distress, holding on to the ends of the almost pastel-green colored dress on her body.

"I just…I needed some air." Bliss Potter told the man, clearing her throat as her heartbeat settled from its panic.

Scorpius Malfoy settled the _Daily Prophet _on the center table of the living room, staring at his goddaughter with a firmness. "Sit down, Bliss," he pointed towards the spot on the floor in front of him, "I think it's time we had a little chat."

"I can't." Bliss replied hesitantly to the man, shifting a little on her bare feet. "..I-I promised dad I wouldn't speak about the subject."

The older man rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Your father's full of rubbish, like always." He told her sincerely. "But I do not care for James' orders right now, Bliss, so please sit."

Sighing, because, really, she didn't want her godfather to be upset with her, because she couldn't handle one more person disappointed at her, Bliss walked towards him; sinking down to the floor by his legs as she looked down at the floor.

"….I'm not happy about this, GB." Scorpius sighed, calling her that nickname that he had created when Emily gave birth to her and he first held onto her. "You know better than to keep secrets from the family," and before she could interrupt with an apology, he continued. "And I don't mean about you and Rex Rowle, I meant about your suffering. Pretending to be okay, GB, is _not _okay."

Bliss lowered her head even more, her eyes burning from the pressure of tears that wanted to come out. "…I just w-wanted everyone to be happy." She said with a sniffle, still holding in her tears though her voice was rough. "I didn't care about me…or R-Rex," that's where she almost lost it, "I didn't want to hurt Riley, I didn't want to disappoint dad…I just wanted things to be okay."

"- -Your dad's an idiot." Interrupting the sentimental moment going on in his grandmother's living room, Al Potter marched in with his hands in his pockets and a roll to his eyes. "You know that, we know that, everyone knows that." He said with a snort, and then frowned at his oldest friend. "Oi, what are you doing, mate? That's _my _niece, I'll give her advice, not you."

Scorpius rolled his eyes at Al. "You haven't been around at all, Potter, I wasn't going to wait until the girl fell apart because your brother's a dunce."

"Who _cares _about James, honestly?" Bliss' uncle retorted quickly, not bothering to take a seat as he flicked his eyes down to look at his niece. "Look, Bliss, sweetie, all you got to do is remind him about the crazy rubbish he did for your mother - everything he did because he loved her. He can't make you give up love because he is not ready to give _you _up. You're an adult now, seventeen's an important age, and he has to see that."

A single tear rolled down Bliss' eye, pushing itself out as she felt her heart ache. Because the two men talked like if she could just defy her father, like she could just tell him to shove off and everything will be fine. "…Is that what you're going to think when Alexa turns seventeen, Uncle Al?" She turned the conversation away from her. "Are you going to let her fall in love and never make her l-let it go?"

At the more tears that raced down his niece's cheeks, Al felt a pang of sympathy for the girl; because he had known once-upon-a-time ago how much it hurt to be without the one you loved. And the fact that James, that selfish git, kept her from it, made it worse. (Because, sure, they were all jealous and protective over the females of their family, but still.) "I wouldn't like it, but I want Alexa to be happy," he walked over to her, squatting down beside her until it almost looked like he was about to sit on the center-table, "and if she was ever in _that _much pain, like the one you're in, I would want her to fight me until her heart stops hurting."

Bliss wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, still looking at her lap. "Mum says dad's irrational and I need to give him some time…But I feel like I'm running out of it."

Scorpius stretched an arm forward, placing his hand gently on his goddaughter's shoulder. "Then make it count, GB."

And as soon as Bliss let out a puff of a giggle, looking up at her uncle and godfather with her glittering emerald eyes, the tension in the room thinned out.

"Seriously, everything's been happening this week, hasn't it?" Al asked loudly, sitting down on the table since he was already there. "It's mad."

With his hand still on Bliss' shoulder, Scorpius looked towards his best friend. "Yeah, mate, it's all mental." His silver eyes narrowed as his tone was a little too sarcastic. "This thing with Bliss, Parker and Hugo's return, the thing with Sid and Molly, and Gracen comes back married with Octavo De la Cruz; who _happens _to bring his sister along."

Al frowned, his green-eyes angry. "…Maybe you shouldn't have invited Gracen Goyle, mate, and the drama would have been less." (Oh, the secret meaning to that.)

"Gracen is Rose's friend - _our _friend since our Fifth Year at school, Potter, remember?"

Bliss rose an eyebrow as the two old friends were now full-on glaring at each other, probably already forgotten that she was there.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have had this…_clever _idea to re-wed your wife." Al said through gritted teeth, crossing his arms. "It's brought nothing but problems."

Scorpius crossed his arms too. "It's supposed to be a joyous occasion, Potter, not for your convenience."

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp. "- -There you are!"

Flinching slightly, Al turned towards the person who entered the living room; an intense scowl on her face as she looked ready to pop. "…Nia." He sighed at his wife.

"Don't 'Nia' me, Potter!" The blonde woman snapped instantly, marching towards him with her anger leaving a trail behind her. "What were you doing!"

Al stood, facing his wife as he crossed his arms. "Having a little conversation with Bliss and Scorpius - _why_?"

"Not that, you idiot." Nia snapped again, her blonde hair flowing behind her as she took another swift step towards her husband. "Tell me why your niece told me you were out…chatting with De la Cruz?"

Al turned to Bliss, giving her a questioning glare.

"I didn't- -"

"Harriet, Al!" Nia cut in before Al could pin this on the older girl. "I apparated outside, back with Emily and Evanna, when Harriet came running towards us, and when I asked for you, she said that last time she saw you, you were talking to that…woman!"

Al sighed with a defeated sense, trying to calm himself before he said anything wrong. "Nia, I was outside with Hugo and Louis, alright? I was heading inside when Gracen and Ophelia appeared, okay. She talked to me, both of them did, what was I supposed to do?"

"How convenient." Nia retorted. "The bloody woman takes the chance to sink her teeth in when I'm not around. I wonder why that is, Al." Her husband just narrowed his eyes at her, and she continued with her fury. "But then again, that's how it all works, right? You two become so friendly when I'm not around, it shouldn't be a surprise, really."

"You're overreacting- -"

"_Am I_?" Nia's voice got louder, her pale cheeks filling with a flush as her irritation pumped more in her blood. "Because last time I trusted you with her, you broke my heart!"

As Al took a step back, feeling like he got punched in the stomach by his wife's words and sudden slap with the past, two teenagers raced into the room; their faces with worry and confusion.

"We could hear you yelling from upstairs," Alexa was the first to speak, her blonde hair sticking in different directions as she clung to her pastel-green dress that looked too big on her body.

"What's going on?" Neo was the next, eyeing his parents as he felt the anger and tension instantly.

Al looked at his children, crossing his arms as he tried to calm himself even more at this point. "Your mother's being a bit dramatic today," he said to them, "but everything's fine."

Nia gritted her teeth, her lips pressing into a tight line as she continued to glare at her husband like she could beat him senseless with her mind.

"…Can we talk about this later?" Al murmured to his wife, giving her a stare that sort of read 'not in front of the children.'

But just like it was his ruddy luck, and he really should have just stayed away from the Burrow like James was doing, Louis peeked his head in from the kitchen quickly, whistling to catch the people's attention. "- - Oi, Al, Gracen and Ophelia are leaving; they want you to come say goodbye."

"Well, of course you want to talk about it later!" Nia hissed at her husband again, this time her fury going overload. "What, you weren't going to tell me your back on good terms with her, Albus?"

"It's not - _nothing's going on_, Nia!" And then Al snapped too.

Shaking her head at him, puffs of strangled air coming out her mouth, Nia took a step back away from the dark-haired man. "Yeah, you're right," her voice was dangerously flat, "nothing's going on because I'm done."

Al knitted his eyebrows, looking at her with semi-wide eyes as Alexa and Neo stared dumbfounded at their mother.

"…What does that mean?" Al asked, his heart thumping loudly; an odd sensation crawling up his spine. Almost like a cold sweat.

Nia swallowed, keeping her composure. "I'm not doing this again, Al, I'm not." Her voice was still low. "I'm done this time." And then she turned on her heels, not sparing a look back as Alexa raced after her.

Al stood there rigid, that odd feeling a little stronger; especially since Neo threw him the nastiest glare, and then turned to find his mother and twin with nothing else.

Scorpius cleared his throat, reminding his best friend that he was still in the room with Bliss as he began to mumble curses.

He turned to him, eyeing him and his niece as the latter looked terrified and worried but Scorpius gave him an apologetic look. "…You and your bloody, dramatic re-wedding rubbish."

**X**

They weren't the same age, her and Bliss, but they were still close. They were real cousins, their fathers were brothers, but they were much more than that - they were best friends. Bliss was always willing, smiling despite everything, and with the kindest heart that hasn't been seen in the Potter family-line since Lily Evans married into it. And her, on the other hand, she thinks she got everything from her great-grandfather James; she was stubborn, too carefree, and had the knack for getting into trouble.

But somehow it worked. Somehow they were allowed to be best friends, comrades than just relatives.

And even though they were both quite closed up with their feelings, just like their grandmother Ginny, the two girls sat together in the couch of their grandparents home in Godrics Hallow comforting each other.

"…Is Uncle James here too?" Alexa murmured to Bliss as their grandparents home was a little too quiet than usual. "I saw Orion tiptoe his way down ten minutes ago."

Bliss shrugged, running her fingers through Alexa's blonde hair soothingly. "Neither are talking to me," her voice was low and sad, "that's why I'm at the Burrow."

"Oh." Alexa mumbled, fixing her head gently on her older cousin's lap; giving her a different angle to play with her hair in that comforting way. "…Mind making room for me in the room your staying?"

Bliss raised an eyebrow, but her eyes kept focused on her cousin's blonde strands. "Of course not, Alex, but…_why_?"

"I don't want to be home, and you know why." There was a little pause, Alexa turned again and focused her eyes on the floor. "…I don't know what the hell is going on with mum and dad, Bliss. I mean, what was that at the Burrow, and what did mum mean when she said she was done?"

The older fourth generation Potter-girl kept silent for a few seconds, not really knowing how to answer that. She had never been good at helping Alexa deal with the fights her Uncle Al and Aunt Nia got into, because their fights were constant, but that's just who they were; and her parents never really fought. Sure, there was those occasions were James would do something extremely stupid, her mum would frown disapprovingly in that way Ginny taught her, and then things were back to normal because he was scared of Emily.

But fear didn't really work with Al and Nia, they were both equally domineering in their marriage.

"That bad, huh?" Alexa let out a puff of a giggle; shutting her eyes as the silence grew.

"I didn't say anything." Bliss replied.

"You never do when things are terrible."

And before the two girls could get into another round of silence, Alexa opened her eyes again as she heard footsteps coming towards them from somewhere around the house.

And right on queue, Neo Potter entered the living room; expressionless. "Grandmum is looking for you, Bliss. Says she has a few dresses she found when she was cleaning the attic that you may fancy."

"Aha," Alexa raised a finger, "so she had you cleaning the attic, did she? No wonder I saw Orion trying to sneak his way out, that little git. He's probably out in the village causing havoc among the local girls."

Bliss rolled her eyes, patting her cousin on the shoulder so she could get off the couch. "He's going to end up getting cursed by another girl's father, my brother. He just doesn't learn." Alexa nodded, "it's that 'charm' these Potter men think they have," she called after Bliss, watching as she laughed and headed towards the staircase and away from the living room; away from her twin cousins.

And like it was common in situations that people did _not _want to be in, an awkward tension spread throughout the living room between the two siblings. Both of them clearing their throats automatically, almost like a twin-thing as they looked away from their contrasting eyes.

What exactly was there to say in these types of things - especially if neither of them knew what was going on? How could Neo - seeing as he was the eldest by three minutes - possibly try and comfort his sister if he didn't have a clue what exactly he was going to comfort her for?

It was mad, just mad! All of it. And of course it would be _their _parents, with their constant battle of who was right and who was wrong, with their forever argument of who wore the wizard-shorts in the marriage and who had their knickers in a twist.

"…Hey," but just to add enough madness to the situation, Al walked into the room; looking at his children carefully.

Glaring at the man he resembled in youth, Neo dropped himself to the nearest seat, frown never leaving.

"Okay," Al muttered awkwardly, turning from his son to his daughter, "Alexa, dear?"

"Don't," the blonde girl said, crossing her arms as she sat taller on the sofa, "Mum's here, dad."

Al frowned too. (Of course, the twins were mummy's little angels - the traitors.) "Yeah, I'm aware of that," he said in response to her, "and that's why I'm here. I have to talk to her, don't I?"

"No, you don't have to," Neo interjected quickly, "not if you're going to do it just because, dad. Do it because you _need _to fix this."

Alexa nodded, huffing as she tightened her arms across her chest.

Al rolled his eyes, irritated. "Alright, kids, you listen here - neither of you know what's going on, so I'd appreciate it if you drop the attitudes. She may have brought you into this world, but _I _was the one who bought you those broomsticks for your Quidditch tryouts in the beginning of the term when she supported Aunt Hermione's idea of you to join the Wizard Debate team, alright. So, I demand some respect."

The twins aimed a look at each other, trying to see if that was worth something.

"…Are you two going to split up?" Alexa asked bluntly, obviously not phased about the broom comment - since she didn't make the team anyway.

Al sighed, pausing for a second to calculate his next words. "Of course not, Alex."

"But mum said she was done, dad," the girl pressed on, "and when mum says she's done…well, you know what happens."

Silence was about to reign over them when Neo brought back the awkwardness with, "what did you do, dad?" He looked sternly at his father, both pair of identical green-eyes that had been passed to them by Harry Potter, connected. "What does mum have against that woman?"

"That we've never heard of," Alexa added.

And again, Al sighed. (This day was just not going the way he thought it would.) "Well, um…a long, long time ago - when your mother and I were barely dating, things got…they got out of hand." He said in a light whisper to them, something strange seeping into his expression that his kids had never seen. "My fault, of course."

Alexa and Neo said nothing, obviously aware that their father had screwed something up.

"I used to date Evanna, you know- -"

"Freddie's wife?" Alexa looked immediately disgusted. "Ew, dad, really?"

"Oi, _I _dated her first!" Al interjected, frowning at the girl; but continued before they got into that. "Anyway. When I was dating Evanna, I realized I had feelings for your mother…well, erm, I guess you can say I had finally admitted that I had feelings for her when she started seeing my cousin and Lorcan Thomas."

"Oh, dear Merlin, this story's getting twisted," Alexa muttered, looking more disturbed.

"_Anyway_," Al snapped again, "In the end, I ditched Evanna - not in the best way possible, mind you - and Nia and I got together… Everything was perfect, just the way your first love should be. She was amazing…she's always been…and then, of course, like it's accustomed, apparently, I…I messed things up when Ophelia De La Cruz suddenly was interested in me."

Silence with his children, so he continued halfheartedly.

"…I guess I was intrigued by the idea of…erm, I had a relationship with Ophelia while…..while I was still with your mother - _I know, I know_!" He snapped, cutting across the instant insult Alexa chucked at him and the deeper death-glare Neo gave him, "I was a foul git, I know that! But I was young, I was stupid, I-I was enthralled by some daft idea that I could be some…The point is, I lost your mother for several months…

"Nia was gone, she disappeared from my life and it was killing me. I started roaming the school barely there, getting into fights with Scorpius, shouting at Emily, being this even bigger git because…well, because I didn't know how to be without her, without Nia…" He looked up at his children, giving them a sad smile. "It was like - like she completed me, you know? Like if she wasn't around, if she wasn't there in the mornings to insult me, to tell me she hated my hair, that I was the dumbest idiot she ever knew…if she wasn't there to hold my hand, to hug me, to kiss me…to tell me she loved me…It was like nothing made sense."

Neo's glare dropped a little, both him and his sister noticing that tint in their dad's eyes was nostalgia, misery, guilt, and desperation.

"…Nothing makes sense when she leaves every day," he mumbled sadly, brows knitting together, "not until she comes back to me…I suppose it's a habit now."

Alexa's blue-eyes looked sadly at her father in return, feeling a little guilty herself. "…She doesn't trust you, dad, you get that, right?"

Al nodded.

"And…and maybe she never will," his daughter continued, "but you gave her a reason to all those years ago. But - but, daddy, listen to me, " she said hurriedly before he looked even more guilty and ashamed, "there's a reason why she gave you another chance, right? There's a reason why she married you!"

"Probably revenge," Al commented with an attempt of humor to his voice, "because your mother's insane."

"- -Completely demented and deranged, of course. I agree," stepping into the living room, having had walked down so quietly from the staircase, Nia eyed her husband and children carefully, "and you still stayed."

A smile tried to tug itself on Al's face, but his brain shouted him to halt it - he didn't know if it would tick the blonde woman off or not. (And he didn't want his kids to see their mother murder their father in front of them.) "I love your crazy."

Nia narrowed her blue-eyes, crossing her arms over her chest as she frowned at Al firmly. "I hate you, Albus. I really, really do," she said straightforwardly to him, "and I hate that bloody woman even more, and I really don't think it's possible seeing how intensely I hate you, but, oi, she takes the cake."

Neo and Alexa flashed another look at each other. (Okay, not what they were expecting.)

"You know what I did as I stormed out of the Burrow?" Nia continued, taking a step towards Al. "I went to our house. I started backing your stuff, then I started packing mine and the kids. Then I repacked yours, and then I repacked ours. And after fifteen times of that, I just decided to break all your stuff, and then I came apparated to my mother's, then I apparated to London, then I apparated back to our house, then here." She took another step. "Do you get where I'm going with this?"

"…That you must be exhausted?" Al asked nervously, taking a step back and feeling slightly scared from the navy in her usually clear sky-blue in her eyes.

Nia frowned deeper. "No, you idiot," she reached forward and smacked him on the chest, "…that nothing makes sense without you either."

And again, Neo and Alexa flashed another look at each other. (Where the hell was this going?)

And from the look of confusion on the twins and Al's face, Nia said, "We've been married for over fifteen years, Al, do you really think I'm going to let that…woman come in between that?

"I've had years, since I was sixteen and decided to give you a second chance, to forgive you for what happened - and I have. Believe me, I have. And I love you way too bloody much to ever let you go, despite the ghosts of the past that come out and intend to haunt us. Despite all of that, because you've proven yourself to me all these years of marriage….nothing else is going to fog that up."

"Then _why_," Al looked even more conflicted, "did you say you were done, Nia?"

Nia scoffed, crossing her arms again. "Well, just because I'm a little crazy, moody, and dramatic, does not mean you don't deserve to suffer a bit. I still don't like you talking to her, Al, I never will….but I trust you."

Al raised his eyebrow.

"Alright, I _trust _that you learned your lesson and you stay away from her," Nia sighed, "because next time, I will snap your wand and feed it to a pack of dogs."

Letting out a frustrated puff of air, Al nodded stiffly at his wife, "Yeah, okay." He snorted, reaching for her crossed arms and uncrossing them. "You're nuts, absolutely mental," and then he took her hand, pulling her towards him, "but for Merlin's sake, I love you."

"Well, obviously," his wife retorted, "who else is going to love you? You've already went through everyone else."

"That's a lie," Al snapped back, "I've only dated three women in my life - and for Merlin's saggy left leg, that's pathetic."

"Three, huh?" Nia snorted, "well, I've had four, so that makes us equal."

"How does that make us equal?" Al looked confused. "And who the hell is the fourth one?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, Potter."

"I'm serious here, Nia. Who the hell is the fourth bloke?"

"….You know what, _I'm_ going to help Grandmum Ginny clean the attic," Alexa said to her brother, getting up from her seat as her parents continued to ramble away with one another, "I'm getting a headache just hearing them, they're never going to change."

And just as he got up to follow pursuit of his twin, Neo smiled softly as he watched his mother smack his father on the head, the latter reeling her in and kissing her on the mouth as she continued to slap him - and for some off reason, Neo really hoped they never changed.

This just made their family more crazy - because, honestly, when was a Potter's life ever normal?

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><p><strong>AN: Yep, yep, yep.<strong>

**Crazy, crazy, crazy.**

**But what family isn't nowadays? Lol. Hope you guys like. The ending's already coming to this story.**


	10. The Color of Everything

**AN: Before you read this, if you want to, to avoid less confusion, you might want to read a story I have uploaded called "OPEN SPACES". Things will make more sense if you did. (:  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Hometown Glory<strong>

**Chapter Nine: **The Color of Everything

"_The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new." - Rajneesh_

She didn't know why she was here — why anyone wanted her to be, or why she even decided to come back in the first place. But there she was, and that's all she knew for the current moment. Sitting on her Aunt Ginny's old bed, looking up towards the ceiling with the occasional glance at the posters, mainly of the Holyhead Harpies, that still hung on the walls as her thoughts rushed left and right. (She secretly wondered if Molly Weasley left everything intact in her children's room because a) she refused to deal with the mess and their enchantments to their rooms; or b) with hopes that their memory at the Burrow lived on even after they had all left.)

Whatever it was, she really didn't care at this point. But at the sudden thought of her great-grandmother caused her throat to tighten and a knot to form.

She had been hiding out in her aunt's room since the moment she apparated on the outside of the Burrow; after no one followed her, after no one said a word to her as she made her way in here. Everyone except Mrs. Weasley, of course, tried to be around her. The elderly woman made her way up to find her great-granddaughter every hour: bringing her drinks, food during lunch and dinner, and the occasional silent support when she would sit on the bed next to her, running her wrinkly fingers through her hair gently.

It had been so hard for her not to crumble and cry to her great-grandmother, to get on her knees and beg for forgiveness for denting the union of family she worked so very hard for years to keep together. She wanted to apologize for wanting to be left out of it, to reassure her that it wasn't because she didn't love her — no, because that could never be the case. But that what she was feeling was just something much more complex than that.

But whenever Molly Weasley's warm and motherly eyes looked at her face, so old and loving like a grandmother should look, Sidney couldn't say anything. She couldn't, and didn't want to get into the scene she had caused days before. All she knew was that she kept her mouth shut, her tears in as her great-grandmother ran her wrinkling-fingers through her red hair; being there for her like family does.(Even if Sidney did not want it most of the time.)

She knew she had a lot of fault in what happened, she doesn't disagree on that, but hadn't she had a right? Hadn't she earned the _privilege _to know what has been kept from her all these years?

As she pondered through the same questions that had always invaded her head, Sidney heard faint knocking on the door. She waited a second, turning to it from her place on the bed and just looked as another knock echoed.

"….Hey." But before she could decide to ignore or answer, the door of the room opened slightly anyway. Elinor Thomas peered her blonde head in, staring with an awkward brown gaze at her. "Can I, erm, come in?" She asked from her safety behind the door.

Sidney gave a hesitant nod at her cousin.

Almost smiling, Elinor closed the door gently behind her; taking even more cautious steps towards the small bed to take a seat. "My Grandmum Luna is here," she began with a soft tone, "told me to tell you hello."

The girl gave another nod, contracting her legs towards her chest to give more room for her cousin.

"She brought Raven and Leo with her, seeing as Uncle Lysander is away on a job for the time and couldn't watch over his kids." she cleared her throat, continuing her small talk. "Neville's here too."

Sidney gave her nod once more, but she choose to say, "…Heard Dom wanted to murder him."

And taken a little aback from the sudden words her cousin gave, almost like she didn't know the redhead could talk, Elinor nodded eagerly. "Yeah, she did. Something with Dustin, it was intense," then she furrowed her brows a bit, "but, it was also yesterday. Dominique's anger has past now."

"Luna and Neville helping with the wedding?" Sidney asked, attempting to go along with the small talk.

"Granddad Dean is working and won't get out until later. He's supposed to meet up with Neville here and then head to Seamus' with Uncle Ron and Harry. Seems they have a bit of catching up to do."

Sidney mumbled something that wasn't heard.

"…Anyway," Elinor cleared her throat. "I brought you this," and reaching into the pocket of her shorts, she pulled out a red, braided, yarn bracelet, "it's not much, or perfectly done, but, you know, we made it for you."

The redhead stared at it for a second, not reaching for it. "…Who made it?"

"Us girls." Elinor explained, now feeling uncomfortable and a little scared that the older girl wouldn't take it. "It's from this muggle box-set Raven's granddad bought her. And seeing as we were all waiting until they called for the final dress-fitting…."she trailed off, shrugging like that pretty much summed it up.

And still with no intentions to take it, Sidney looked at the blonde hesitantly; warily. "But _why_?" She asked in a small murmur. "I've…I've been such a wench with you all."

"That's not true—"

"It _is_," Sidney almost snapped, not wanting to be spared, "and you all know it. I've never…taken you lot into consideration. Christ, I don't even talk to any of you unless I feel like I'm forced or cornered. Why did you do this?"

Elinor still had the bracelet stretched forward, not bothering to put it back into her pocket. (She wasn't giving up the easily.) "Because we're family," she said like it was simple, "because as much as you try to pull yourself away from us, we still love you."

Sidney pressed her lips into a tight line.

"You're my cousin, Sid," Elinor continued, "I grew up…I grew up admiring you. Following after you like you were my big sister. Just how mum said she did to Aunt Molly." A little smile appeared on her face. "And the rest of the lot, well, they love you because your Sid. Because you're always going to be Sid.

"…It doesn't matter where or who you came from, Sid. What matters to us is that you're our family — and not to mention the blokes are terrified of you, and that gives us girls an extra advantage over things."

Not being able to help it, Sidney laughed slightly; shaking her red hair a little. "Thanks, Eli." she said to her cousin, reaching over for the bracelet and taking it. Her blue eyes looked down at it for a second, noticing the different shades of red that intertwined themselves together, and how small black beads formed in the middle of the strap to spell out SID; glittering.

Elinor smiled grander, feeling victorious when the door opened —

"Eli, Rose is calling the girls now," And standing by the doorframe was Molly Weasley II, arms crossed and looking serious. "Best hurry up. She already lost Violet, and she's a hectic mess to be dealt with right now."

And feeling the awkward tension in the air, Elinor stood up, "Yes, Aunt Molly," and hurried quickly out of the room. (She loved her aunt and cousin so much, but that was something no one would ever want to be a part of.)

Watching her niece walk out the door, Molly turned to her daughter; arms still crossed and a frown still on her freckly face. "Well," she called with a flat tone, "didn't you hear? Rose is calling all the girls for their dress-fitting. _Go_."

"No," Sidney replied against her nature to always obey her mother.

Molly narrowed her brown eyes. "Sidney, go."

The seventeen year-old looked away from her mother, looking down at the bracelet in her fingers and leaned against the mattress. Already decided.

"_Sidney_."

No response.

"Fine—" And then suddenly Molly slammed the door closed; the noise echoing around the small room as Sidney's ears picked up a faint giggling coming from outside the window. "You want the truth, Sidney? You're an adult now to handle it? _Then, fine_."

As she crossed the room, heading towards the bed, Sidney instinctively recoiled back; her ears still alert as she recognized the voices coming in from the window.

Molly took a deep breath through her nostrils, brown eyes flaring as she tried collecting all of her memories; all of the things she had been trying her hardest to keep away from her only child. "Beth," she said after a second, "It started with Beth, my best friend."

Sid said nothing, she knew who her mother was referring to. (Molly's muggle best friend.)

"I met Beth and your father the very first day I left home," and the story began, "I moved into this flat in Muggle London. Trying to make it on my own. Without the family, without magic. I wanted to be my own person…I wanted to be something more than a Weasley.

"….I think I fell in love with him the very first moment I laid eyes on him. He was…He was something I had never encountered before. He had his very own light, his very own essence. It was….it was something entirely unexplainable. And almost like it had been fate, or a very clever trick played by Beth the very first time she met me, he looked at me the way I looked at him."

There was a pause, and Sidney, with a banging heart, with all her attention focused on her mother, neither of the redheads noticed that the giggles coming from outside were those of Angelique Lupin's and Zack Wood.

"It wasn't long until he had me swept off my feet," Molly continued, "or how quickly I became attached to Beth and him. We were the best of friends, the three of us. There was nothing that we wouldn't do together. I was so…swept by them, so enthralled by who they were, how they lived, I forgot about the others. About your great-grandparents, your uncles and aunts, about your granddad Percy, your Aunt Lucy and your Uncle Parker….I forgot about everything because of them — because of _him_.

"….As quickly as we became inseparable, your father and I became an item," she laughed, a long distant laugh, " after a few disastrous separate relationships and horrible dates, that is. And when it came time for us…it was like a cliché romance, Sid. It was like…it was like I had never experienced love in my life before. And maybe I hadn't. Not like his, anyway. It was just so intense, so passionate, so…._real_."

Her voice squeaked towards the end, causing her to pause again; and the echoes of laughter from Angelique and Wood entered through the window a little louder.

But after another second, Molly took in another deep breath and continued. "Everything was speeding up, it was like I didn't feel time when he was around. I swore time just…just vanished from us when we were together. And a week turned into a month, then a month into another, and so on….And then, one day, I found out about you, Sid."

Sidney gulped, her blood feeling cold in her veins as her mother's expression turned from reminiscing to sad.

"I waited a week to tell him. I was so afraid. We were young, we were so devotedly in love, but we were young. I didn't know if he would be ready, I didn't know if _I _would be ready, and it scared me. It scared me to tell him about you…but I had to. Beth convinced me, told me I had to or she'd tell him." And again, there was a puff of a giggle, but it was a very sad one. "And then I did tell him. I just spilled it out one day. And…he hugged me, Sid. He hugged me, tightly. He told me he loved me, told me it was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"And I believed him. I had never seen his blue eyes shine so much. Chris started planning everything, started going crazy about finishing his career so, when the moment came, we'd have so much to give you."

Sidney blue eyes popped, her father's name finally revealed. He had a name now.

"He was preparing an entire life for us already, and….and I realized, I had not been honest with him. I had been lying to him. Keeping everything, the most important things from him. From Beth, even. _I _was a l-lie." Molly flickered her brown eyes to her daughter, something blank in them. "I never told them I was a witch."

And now Chris, her father, was a muggle. Sidney was a half-blood.

Molly waited a few seconds, swallowing a knot that could be sensed. "…I was a fool in love," she whispered, "I was an idiot who thought that….I told Beth first, like I'd always have. She was my best friend, I needed her approval as much as I needed your father's. And well, you know Beth, Sid. She's mental and unpredictable. She laughed, cheered, and demanded I finally stop making excuses and help her paint her room; a flick of my wand would do too, if I wanted to.

"….Taking her reaction to heart, I decided to go for it. If Beth loved me, then Chris would still love me too. We always…we always said we were together forever, no matter what either of us every did individually. And I believed that. I really, _really _believed it."

Sidney stopped breathing, she had a sense that something was not going to go according to her thoughts, to her already speculated theories of why her father wasn't in her life.

"I told him," her mother said out of nowhere, "I told him I was a witch. I told him where I came from, who my family actually was….and when you were born, you'd be just the same. You'd be a witch, a talented one once you grew….But he….he didn't look at me with happy, incredulous eyes like Beth had. No. He…stepped away from me, something in his blue eyes that I had never seen before — disgust.

"…I tried to explain to him, to tell him I was still me, I was still Free, but his mind had already been settled. I was a freak in his eyes….I was an abomination of what was normal a-and…you'd be the same, he said." Tears gathered themselves in Molly's eyes. "He ran. He ran and he….he didn't come b-back. Not once did he come back. Not for his things, not to say goodbye to Beth, who he'd known for years before me. He didn't come back."

Sidney felt her heart sink. Her own tears burning in her eye sockets.

"Everything was a lie," Molly murmured with a heartbreaking tone, "I wasn't that girl. I wasn't a muggle. I was Molly, a _witch_. And no matter how long I ran for, no matter how long I hid…I would always be Molly Weasley." She picked up her hand to her face, rubbing the back of her palm on her left cheek; wiping the tears. "And because I was a Weasley…because I was Molly and the legacy in my blood forbade me to crumble completely, I continued. I pushed and pushed.

"I wasn't giving up, I had you, Sidney. I had you, you were mine. I was going to give you everything I could. I was going to make you proud, I was going to make you love me because I was Molly, I was Free, I was your mother…"her voice squeaked again, "and I love you, Sidney, with all my heart."

Not being able to contain it, not being able to hold it — those gut wrenching emotions, that burning in her chest, Sidney launched herself at her mother. Hugging her. Embracing her tightly as she cried, cried with her.

They cried together, mother and daughter. Cried together, how they have always been; just each other. She cried on her mother, letting her stroke her red hair, loving her. Never stopping, no matter how wretched she had been to her; blaming her for a man who took off on her. She cried because her mother loved her enough to get over her immense heartbreak; because she loved her despite the blue eyes that belonged to that man lived on her face. She even loved her then, with the memory of him living with every blink Sidney took.

Squeezing her mother tightly, Sidney said through her tears, "I love you, mum. I love you."

**X**

"_It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons." - Johann Schiller_

He was sure that somewhere in heaven, somewhere passing the clouds looking down at him with a smirk, his parents were laughing at him as he tried controlling his anger. He knew it was some sort of punishment sent down to him for being a complete disaster-of-a-child when he was growing up; making Harry and Ginny Potter's life a little harder, their home a little louder. (Well, a lot. Apparently he had inherited the clumsiness and attraction of commotion from his loud mother. And absolutely no discreetness or maturity from his father.)

"Glorie, I am not going to repeat myself another time," Teddy sighed frustrated at his oldest child, "we are going home, and that's that. You can come back tomorrow morning."

"That's not fair," Glorie frowned in return, arms crossed as her blonde hair flew in disarray in the summer-night air, "everyone is staying over today, why can't I? Grandmum Molly said it was perfectly alright."

Teddy sighed again. "It's alright for Molly, Glorie, but it's not okay for me, understood?"

The girl frowned harder.

"Why can't you be like your sister, Glorie? She's going without a fight."

Standing next to her mother, standing quietly like she was, Angelique uncrossed her arms and looked revolted at the comment her father had just thrown at her sister. (The same expression on the blonde girl's face.) "Oi, do not try and get her to be like me—" she practically hissed. "And besides, I want to stay too, dad. It's the last days here before we have to go back to Hogwarts, and all of us wanted to watch one of those movie-rubbish great-granddad has in the shed."

Trying not to curse, trying to contain himself, Teddy threw Victorie a pleading look. "Do you mind, Vic?"

The blonde woman exhaled, shaking her head as she turned her blue eyes at her daughters. "Alright, girls, you heard your dad," she said in a firm voice, "we are going home. No more complaining."

"Why?" Glorie now turned her glare at her mother, looking like she was about to stomp her foot on the grass and throw a tantrum.

"Because don't think I don't know about Dustin and Rex's mates coming over for your movie-night," and finally having enough, Teddy snapped. "Don't think I don't know how this works, Glorie. I am not going to let my daughters be around a pack of hormone-driven gits, and think they can get frisky because there's no adult supervision."

And almost like it was a signal that something was way off, Glorie and Angelique exchanged looks. Both of them looking angry, annoyed, and incredulous.

"That's absurd," Glorie retorted, looking at her dad like he had lost his mind. "Who do you take us for, anyway?"

Teddy narrowed his eyes —a now burning black than a light grey that he had moments ago — at the girl; looking firm and unmoving. "I take you as giddy teenage girls, Glorie, alright. And I said we are going home, and that's that."

Taking a step forward, not about to lose this round, Angelique said, "No, dad," causing Teddy to turn to her, more aggravated. "We want to stay. You're going to have to trust us."

"You," Teddy pointed a finger at the brunette, "you especially are going home, Angelique Dora. Don't think that your cousins didn't tell me about you having a giggling fest with Zacharias Wood earlier."

Dropping her frown for the first time, Glorie gaped at her younger sister; looking genuinely surprised. "_What_?"

But just as Angelique's eyes were burning an embrassed pink, just like her cheeks, a redhead came out from the backdoor. Walking to them slowly, sending a sensation of a newcomer and silencing the argument the Lupin family was having.

As soon as her feet stopped moving, Sidney looked up at the Lupins; her throat clearing lightly before she said an awkward, "um, hey."

The silence between the daughters and parents was instant, Victorie Lupin stepping in front of her husband before the redhead's eyes could look at him. "Sidney," she said in a flat voice, her eyes looking the same, "we were just going home."

Sidney cleared her eyes, taking a step instinctively back at Victorie's very clear resentment against her. (After all, she had shouted horrible things at her husband; hurting him deeply.) "So,erm," she cleared her throat, trying to find some determination and Gryffindor bravery in her blood, "I…erm."

"We really must be going now," Victorie spoke again, turning around from Sidney.

But before the Lupins could scatter, before Victorie could leave thinking she was an ungrateful girl, Sidney said, "Mum told me about him. My dad."

And the silence was multiplied.

"She…she told me everything," her blue eyes looked up, looking at Teddy and no one else, "about when she left and how she met him. And…about what happened after."

Teddy looked at the girl, staying silent as she fiddled with her fingers. Ignoring the group of people by the back door that had suddenly appeared there. Some trying to peer over others, trying to listen in.

"He…he, erm," Sidney swallowed, her throat now tight, "He didn't w-want me." And her voice broke, her chest on fire again as she felt tears glitter in her eyes. "Mum told him she was a witch, a-and he…When she told him I'd be one t-too, he _l-left,_" she paused, trying to swallow once more.

Victorie dropped her frown, her heart sinking for Molly's daughter.

Teddy took one step forward as tears rushed down Sidney's cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she whispered past her tears, "I'm sorry for the t-things I said, Ted." She continued to look at him, her gaze just as broken as she sounded. "I-I just wanted to know," she continued, "Thank you. Thank you for being there for me."

Teddy took another step.

"Thank you because you c-cared. Because you did things a dad is suppose to do for their daughter," more tears fell, "B-Because you were t-there for me when you had Glorie to take care of, but you s-still found time for me….Thank you for taking care of me when I was sick, when mum was late at the office, for tucking me in when she wasn't home….F-For writing to me every day my first year at Hogwarts. For still writing to me."

The wind blew and scattered Sidney's tears, the moon making those clear-blue eyes glisten even more in its light.

"Thank you for taking every silly craft I made when I was younger…For every horrible project those muggle teachers made us do for Father's Day." Sidney looked at Teddy, pausing for a second to get out what she had always wanted to say; what he deserved to know. "But most of all….thank you for l-loving me," she breathed in a murmur, "even when I wasn't yours to love."

And just as Sidney finally broke down, as she shed thick tears that anyone could have never imagined, even as Teddy rushed towards her; gripping her like a father would when his daughter was suffering, the rest of the lot that was by the door ran towards them. All of them sprinting and throwing their arms around one another.

But just as Teddy squeezed Sidney, just as the others squeezed one another too, Riley managed to make her way towards Sidney's back; hugging her more tightly than she had ever hugged anyone before. She wanted to make things better, to show that she loved her too — and always had.

And through that love fest, Sidney's woven red bracelet gleamed in the night. In that second, she finally understood something she was trying to ignore. And that was that she was a Weasley — she was Sidney Free Weasley — and red was the color of love for her; the color of family, the color of home.

And there wasn't a place in the world she rather be than there.


	11. Of Good Deeds

**Hometown Glory**

**Chapter Ten: **Of Good Deeds

"_The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other." _—_ Mario Puzo._

Today had to be the day of attempting to put things together and then sending them all to hell a few minutes later. There couldn't be another explanation for it, really, other than somehow the universe was conspiring against all things related to the heart for the young people of the world and catastrophe ran wild for the day.

"—I do not care!"

She was standing in the middle of a huddled group behind her, all types of arms holding on to her, hands clutching to some part of her as her father's voice roared in the air and she just watched with tears rushing out of her broken emerald eyes at the anger in his voice.

"Mister Potter, if you would just—"

"You stay away from my daughter!"

She felt someone squeeze their arm around her waist, but she really couldn't tell who it was from the loyal throng of cousins around her as she continued to cry. All she could do was stare at the man shouting, face red with curses that he was spewing, and that boy with dark eyes that held the same broken expression she wore.

She didn't know how she got there as she watched everything move so slowly; her hands on her ears, trying to block the sounds of her heart being stomped more and more into fragments of nothing. All she could remember was that one moment Rex Rowle was kneeling before her as she read a book on Arthur Weasley's old armchair, both of them completely alone and sharing a look of long lost love and present heartbreak, and the next James was shoving the boy, shouting obscenities and the others rushed to the commotion that could be heard even outside the barrier of the Burrow.

"I've accepted you as part of this family because of Dominique and her husband," James' loud voice hissed again, "but unless you want a shift in this family because of you, I suggest you stay away from my daughter!"

"Mister Potter, look, I appreciate that you've always treated me like family, but what I feel for Bliss—"

"I don't care about your feelings for my daughter," and there went James again, "stay away from her, boy! I'm not repeating myself again!"

And then at a certain point, after so many emotions circling in the air, her mother had appeared out of nowhere; looking fiercer than anyone had ever seen her before.

And once Emily started yelling—her usual dulcet tone and soft speaking manner was long and gone when she ordered everyone out the room; when she told her husband to lower his voice and act like an adult; and when she had suggested in a very rough, yet polite, manner that Rex find his way home and away from the Burrow.

It was in that moment of blurs and blinding tears, after she heard the _crack _of someone disapparating and her mother dragging her father off, that she found herself alone now. Sinking to the floor of her great-grandparents' living room with two very clear revelations running in circles inside her head. One, that she was a coward and that she never stood up against her father or said anything in her defense. And two, that she always let Rex disappear from her; dragging her love with him like a shadow that he didn't know was keeping him safe and warm.

She pulled her knees up to her chest, her long waves of black falling over her pale face as she continued to cry in what she was sure looked absolutely pathetic. But at the given moment, she _felt _that way and there was no purpose of hiding it. This was who she was, she knows that—that girl who does so much for others she doesn't realize she's pretending not to be broken for their benefit. But she is, she really is.

She's brokenhearted, completely dead inside, she's sure, but it's something she knows she's going to have to get used to. It was her choice, she noticed that right after her clear revelations. _She _was the one who kept herself silent, the one who never stopped Rex from leaving.

"Erm…Hey," looking up from her kneecaps, Bliss' glistening eyes were met with brown ones, Riley's.

"If you're here to torture me some more, Riley, please leave," Bliss managed to squeak out through her tight throat and pressuring emotions.

Riley cleared her throat, looking a extremely uncomfortable on her freckly face as she stared at her second-cousin with intentions of actually leaving the living room. But as soon as Bliss shed more thick tears and looked back down at the carpet of the corner she was currently breaking herself further into, the redhead took in a deep breath and found her voice. "Look, Potter," her voice was low and strained, "I realize that…that I'm a complete bitch and that I don't always treat any of you like family."

Bliss kept her head down, not even a flinch was made to give Riley any insight if she was even listening.

"I don't know if you're aware, since you've been in your sad little bubble of misery," Riley stopped herself, trying to contain that natural venom that spewed out by itself, "I mean…I'm a horrible person, Potter, I am." She continued, a little more careful not to insult her. "I say and do horrible things to everyone around me. Girls in Slytherin hate me because they think I'm too vicious. Can you believe that—of course you can, anyone can."

Another pause.

"I broke Lynx's nose days ago," the redhead went on, "I stole Glorie's diary two months ago, and since then she's been blaming it on Angelique. I blackmailed Zabini into doing my Charms homework for an entire year our Fifth Year just because I could. I mistreat Rory because, as the older twin, I feel in command. I take every opportunity I can get to humiliate the boys in our family. I practically caused the fight between Sidney and Molly. I….I ruin _everything_."

And at the littlest of cracks that broke Riley's last word, Bliss blinked up; staring at her cousin with teardrops hanging on her long lashes.

Riley carefully lowered herself in the small space in front of the dark-haired girl, her brown eyes still looking warily at Bliss as she continued breathing cautiously. There was a reason for her sneaking back into the living room once Emily had forbade everyone from speaking to her daughter. And as she felt panic and uneasiness creep up her spine, blurring the reason of why she was there at all, Riley was fighting with herself to finally use her heart instead of that sarcasm and natural hate for everything and everyone.

"…Riley, you…you don't—"

"No, no, shut up, Potter," Riley snapped, trying to silence the always predictable need for the older girl to protect and ease everyone else's pain; even when her comforting usually adds more fuel to that fire of misery she keeps flaming herself up with. "Don't start with that touchy rubbish that you're always on about, okay? Just shut it, sit there and….just shut it."

Bliss nodded once, eyes looking directly into the redhead's.

"Two years ago," Riley whispered, "I started noticing the way Rowle would look at you…I think everyone did. It was his last year at Hogwarts, and every witch wanted him. He'd get attention left and right, _I _even tried talking to him…but none of that really mattered to him. Because he didn't see those other girls…he didn't see me, he just saw _you_. I could tell, and it made me very angry…I didn't want you to take something from me."

A moment of silence and then the redhead took a deep inhale. (How she hated getting sentimental and deep.)

"I wasn't in love with him," she confessed, "nor infatuated, or really felt anything for him. I just wanted to win…First with all those girls—because you know I've always fancied challenges—and then you. I wanted to beat you because…I dunno, Bliss. I just always assumed everything came so easily to you. You seem to live the perfect little life…but I see that you don't now."

Bliss blinked, emerald eyes rimmed red. "…Why did you ask me to stay away from him, then, Riley? Why did…why did you make me give him up if you weren't in love with him?"

The redhead didn't answer immediately. She instead focused a few seconds of her time on ripping out split-ends on a few strands of her hair; taking her time to find that reason not to run away. "I didn't realize it was a losing battle from the beginning." She ripped another split-end, still not looking up at her older cousin. "Halfway through the fight and the seducing, I realized that he really did love you….Purely, and all that good, mushy, rubbish. It was just a game for me, but for him it wasn't. He was betting his heart out to you, and he didn't care. And then I saw that you didn't either, you were willing to give him your heart too despite everything….

"I push people away, Bliss," she finally looked up, brown meeting green. "Not the way Sidney does, but because I don't _want _to feel anything for anyone. I'm a bitch because I only allow myself to love myself…But for a moment I believed that I could get Rowle to love me too…but he didn't. He loved you, and for a second I didn't want to believe I'm _that _repulsive that no one was willing to love me back."

"I gave him up for you," Bliss mumbled to the redhead, "_I _loved you enough to do so, Riley. Despite what I feel for him, despite everything….Yeah, you are a bitch, but I love you enough to give _anything _up for you."

Riley smiled lopsidedly, just a tiny bit. "I know," she breathed, "and because of it….I'm going to let you in on a little secret, Potter."

Bliss raised her dark brow.

"I like making people miserable, it's what I do. I like challenging people into doing something they've never done before—partially to see them get hurt, both physically and emotionally, but also because it pushes them to do something they don't think they're capable of." Riley paused, an evil smirk on her face that was accustomed and usual as she carefully stretched her arm forward and extended her palm out to Bliss.

Bliss looked at it, a little warily and cautious like if she expected the girl to have an invisible bomb in her hand. But at something that wasn't totally evil glowing in her dark eyes, Bliss took it. Their palms connecting and warm flesh on each other; their blood-ties rushing together just behind their layers of skin. "What, erm, what does this—"

"Rowle's very depressed and heartbroken right now since James has gone all psychotic and practically threatened to descend Dementors on him if he doesn't stay away from his little princess," the redhead interrupted, "so he's very fragile—as unmanly as that sounds. So, if I were to, you know, pretend to be Rory and comfort him, there could be a chance that he can…fall for—"

"Riley, _no_!" Bliss pulled back her hand instantly. "Are you really trying…are you going to go and try get Rex back, while pretending to be your sister?"

"Well, he's going to waste, Potter," the girl responded. "Either you go and get him or I will."

And at the instant her second-cousin completed her devious statement, so many more emotions rushed through Bliss like a tornado swiping an open field. Could she be capable of seeing Rex with someone else—which would obviously _never _be Riley since he hates her and all; nor her twin for that mater. Was she just going to leave him open for the world to take him up and drift him away from her if she didn't fight to keep him by her side? Was she really going to be that almost-eighteen year-old girl who hid behind her daddy to not upset him?

And just as those questions were making her heave air with a sense of panic, the answer came fast to her when Riley pushed it with, "with the things your dad told him today, don't expect him to come back again, Bliss. Stand up for yourself, damn it, you're not five anymore."

_Crack_.

"Just like I thought," and as she found herself alone in the living room now, Riley's smirk grew more as she rose from the floor. She dusted her dress off, feeling a little warm inside to be able to patch something up—though she knew that there was no need for sorry when it came to Bliss since she always forgave the world. So feeling victorious and a little saint-like, Riley headed out of the room to do her next good deed.

She was trying to make amends with the people she had hurt while being at the Burrow, and that was her greatest challenge to herself.

**X**

"—Here you go, fresh Pumpkin-juice," appearing into the garden together, practically shoving one another, Violet Greengrass and Athena Malfoy spoke in unison; extending the tray of glasses at the people gathered on the garden table.

Violet frowned at Athena, "…don't you have somewhere to be with your mummy?"

Shoving the young redhead away from her, all while ignoring her nasty comment, Athena took a glass from the tray and extended it to a curly-haired boy with glittering blue eyes. "Here, Greg," she smiled shyly.

Taking the glass politely, Gregory De La Cruz returned the smile to the girl. (But much less shy and flirty.) "Thank you."

Kicking the back of Athena's legs, Violet turned to the other De La Cruz boy at the garden table, extending him some Pumpkin-juice for the heat as the Malfoy girl glared roughly.

And at the obvious rivalry going on for the two boys—which made absolutely no sense—Kendra Weasley exchanged a look of worry with Abel Greengrass and Raven Thomas. It was a known fact that Athena, gentle and smart as she was, had the fury of a furious Weasley mixed with a naturally-conniving Malfoy; and that Violet, as quirky and sarcastic as she could be, had a lot of inherited fury she got from Ginny and Lily. Now, to picture these two girls to leave aside their best characteristics and act upon the worst? Well, that was a disaster waiting to happen.

"Um" with a quick clear of her throat, Kendra tried to speak loudly in her quiet demeanor, "Greg, Javier, you were telling us about Spain?"

"You were telling us about your school," Raven pressed in hope that the two redheaded girls would focus their attention on the boys' conversation instead of sending each other death-glares.

Javier lowered his glass and spoke before his older brother could. "Madragon," he said, "that's the wizardry school we go to."

"It's a very good school," Greg continued on, "best education you can get in all Latin-speaking Europe."

"Your mum works there, right?" Athena asked quickly; automatically enthralled by the passion of learning in the oldest De La Cruz' voice. "I heard her mention it in passing."

Javier shook his head. "No, our _papa _works there." He corrected her. "He is the Headmaster of the school—well, recently he became. He was the professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts for five years there, but after the oldest Headmaster retired, our father took over."

"_Oh_," Athena's face fell slightly. (Well, now she looked dumb.)

And knowing exactly that, Violet nudged her second-cousin smugly, but grinned casually at the foreign boys. "So, Greg, out of curiosity—because Athena's dying to know, do you have a—"

"Thomas!" Just as Athena's silver eyes went wide and Violet could make a mess of a friendly gathering outside, Riley came storming out of the Burrow with her hair swooshing back like a wave of fire.

Copying the Malfoy girl's exact shocked expression, Raven shrunk back into her seat as she was quick to identify the redheaded twin that was marching her way towards her; that furious look on her face that was so usual.

"What did you do?" Abel whispered to the girl, looking frightened for her as they could all feel Riley's anger coming towards them like a flow of air.

"I-I—_nothing_," Raven breathed, more scared as the redhead finally came to stop before them.

Silence instantly fell upon everyone on the table, even the foreign boys who had no idea what was going on—alike the others—were smart enough to shut their lips tight.

Riley raised a brow, her expression fierce as she crossed her arms over her chest. Athena recoiled back as well, taking a chance to inch closer to Gregory De La Cruz as Violet and Javier rolled their eyes at them. And before Kendra could even react to anything, Abel grabbed one of her hands tightly; looking like if he was almost protecting her by the incoming redhead's wrath by the simple gesture.

"Where the hell have you been, Thomas?" Riley's anger smacked everyone on the face as her lips parted and she spoke. "I've been looking everywhere for you, little girl. And, just in case you've yet to notice, this isn't your family's house to be running about freely."

Raven's blue eyes shot opened in fear and nervousness. "I-I…_huh_?"

Riley crossed her arms. "We need to talk."

The dark-haired girl took a daring move to glance up at Kendra, pleading with her sky-colored eyes to help her.

And at the lingering silence once more taking up the garden, Riley narrowed her brown eyes and snapped, "was I not clear enough? Get out!"

Just as the two De la Cruz boys and Violet and Athena stood from their seats on the garden table, a silkily, yet malicious voice said, "—such a bratty _niña_."

"—Hey, shut up," with arms crossed and a heated expression on her face, Nia Potter sent a snarl at the dark-haired woman sitting across from her a few feet away from the garden table.

A little distracted from the task at hand, Riley turned her narrowed eyes at the women who had been acting as background this entire time. "Nia," she called Al's wife, "why are you hanging around Al's greatest mistake?"

Ophelia De la Cruz instantly sent daggers at the redheaded girl.

Nia smirked proudly. "Just making sure the trash isn't flying all around the Burrow, darling."

"Erm," raising a very brave hand to catch Riley's attention, Raven cleared her throat gently. "Why…erm, why are you looking for me?"

"I'm going to lay this down easily for you, alright, Thomas?" And there went Riley again, back to her good deed. "Either snog and be with Lynx, or go the hell home."

Raven's eyes widened impossibly more. "…Excuse me?"

The redhead looked annoyed in a quick second. "Look, Thomas, I have a knack for knowing when people fancy each other, alright. And for the sake of my newfound holiness and desire to make amends to people around me, I'm trying to play matchmaker here. Now, be with Malfoy if you know what's best for you."

"I," Raven cleared her throat nervously again, "I don't like Lynx that way, Riley—"

"My well-defined ass, you don't," Riley interrupted with a sarcastic huff. "I'm never wrong, Thomas, okay? I mean, look at Greengrass and Kendra. They're sitting there, inching at each other every passing second, practically on each others lap, and wasting precious time to be with one another by pretending they mean nothing to each other."

Attention was now on Kendra and Abel; both flushed, frozen, and expressionless.

And right when it looked like Kendra was going to open her mouth to aim some kind of defense for herself, Riley said, "prove me wrong, Kenny. Prove me wrong, I dare you."

Kendra shut her lips again, her eyes glancing down at her lap as Abel remained still.

"Now, off you two go," Riley shooed them. "I gave you something to talk about, now figure out what your little prepubescent selves are going to do about this."

Watching as the two young teenagers awkwardly got themselves up from the garden table, Ophelia leered to herself for a second. "_Oye, niña_," she called, "has anyone ever told you that forced love doesn't last?" Her dark eyes flashed towards the woman across from her, "just ask Nia about it. It's a miracle my dear Al has been with her for so long."

Trying to keep her pride and cool, Nia just smiled nicely at the girl of her past nightmares as she causally fixed her dress. "Oh, Ophelia, not even by force could you get someone to love you," she fluffed her dress again. "That's why you're going to your forties—husband-less, without children, and leeching off your brother's family since no one else wants you."

Glancing at each other for a second from the brawl about to happen with the women, Riley and Raven's focus was shifted when a very familiar blonde boy and Neo came into the yard; a quick-and-easy Quidditch box-set following after them.

Riley's brown eyes lit up, a smirk and relief washing on her face.

And noticing that, Raven started shaking her head rapidly at the intention on the redhead's face. "Riley, _no_, don't—"

"Oi, Malfoy!" But it was too late, Riley was waving her arm high in the air with all the irritating dramatics she could muster up without punching herself on the face. "I have some news for you!"

"_Riley_," Raven squeaked, turning a mortified pink and tripping over her feet as she launched herself forward at the redhead. "No, please, Lynx doesn't feel the same—"

"Oh, shut up," Riley snapped at her, elbowing her off of her. "You're going to thank me in the long run, Thomas. You just watch."

"But, Riley—"

"Malfoy!" Ignoring the dark-haired girl, Riley screamed again at her cousin. "I'm talking to you, idiot!"

And a few yards away, Lynx and Neo adjusted the Quidditch balls for their game. "Yeah, I know," Malfoy shot back, "and I'm choosing to ignore you."

Riley glared. "Well, that's too bad." (_Breathe, breathe, Riles, you broke his nose, remember? _She chanted to herself.) "Since I was going to tell you little Raven Thomas is madly in love with you and she wanted to know if you've finally grown the quaffles to ask her to be your girlfriend—"

And just as Riley was walking away from the garden table, leaving a stunned and flushed-face Raven behind, she laughed loudly to herself as a bludger shot off from the box-set and smacked Lynx right on the face. Looking dumfounded and love-struck as his back collided with the grass from the hit.

Oh, yeah. She'd definitely earned her one-way ticket to heaven now.

* * *

><p><strong>And TADA! Riley's not as evil as she likes to think she is...In a way. Whatever. Lol.<strong>

**Anyway, I'm sorry for those of you who've waited so long for me to upload this chapter, but I had inspiration once again. But now it's back and here you have it. And if I'm not mistaken, there's two chapters left to this and then we're done forever with the "Here We Go Again" series. **

**Things to remember:**

**- Riley's Freddie and Evanna's daughter.**

- **Kendra is Louis' daughter**

-**Abel Greengrass is adopted into the family and is NOT related to anyone but Violet and Logan Greengrass.**

-**Athena and Lynx Malfoy, Scorpius and Rose's children.**

**And I think that's it. (:  
><strong>


	12. The Ghoul in Pajamas

**Hometown Glory**

**Chapter Eleven: **The Ghoul in Pajamas

_"Families are about love overcoming emotional torture."— Matt Groening_

The sun was barely going down, making the blue sky look like fire was about to devour it with brilliant shades of red and the deepest orange. The clouds were a profound purple, just floating by as the sky ignited in flames and cool air pushed by in a breeze.

They were all gathered together for dinner. Long tables connected end by end by end to hold together their massive group of bloodlines, and even friends that were considered a part of those lines. Plates were almost empty, some completely clean and others with small traces that a very delicious feast had been on them. Goblets were filled with Pumpkin Juice, Butterbeer, and some Firewhiskey for those who were a little, discreetly, addicted.

The air was some kind of peaceful, no stress or distress in the summer breeze that flew by them in soft touches. It was a family dinner at the Burrow—and for once it wasn't in full-on havoc.

"…and all I said was, 'Look here, next time you take that tone with me—the boss, the _man_—I'll be forced to dismiss you,'" looking up from his clean plate, Harry Potter was in time to see his best friend, his brother, Ron talk to a few adults willing to listen.

Bill narrowed his eyes at his little brother. "And then what happened, almighty one?"

"I sent a flock of birds at his head," Hermione spoke up from her place across from her husband, giving Ron a scowling look. "He still ended up cleaning the attic like I told him to."

And all of those who had the patience to hear Ron and his tale of infecting fear laughed at him as the latter turned red in the face and frowned at his wife. "…It catches me off guard every time," Ron mumbled to Percy, still looking irritated. "You would think she'd use another spell, she's the Brightest Witch of her Age, ain't she?"

"She is," George spoke up, smirking to himself grandly as Ron looked up at him, "and you're the thickest wizard of your age. That's why she keeps using the same spell, your dense brain never sees it coming after all these years."

More laughter broke out, and even Harry was having a bit of a chuckle when Ginny approached the end of their table with one of their youngest grandchildren glued to her hand.

And once she got closer, Harry noticed that the little redhead girl had tear-tracks on her white face. "What happened?" He asked Ginny as he outstretched his hand to the girl. "Why is she crying?"

"Someone locked her in the attic," Ginny told her famous bespectacled husband, "she's been there for an hour."

"Harry, sweetheart," and from his chair, earning some attention of a few others, Ron called for his grandniece, "did your Aunt 'Mione lock you up there? Because if she did, don't be afraid to tell us. Maybe your Grandmum Ginny can aim a flock of birds at _her _head."

Hermione glared at her husband, but no one paid attention to it as little Harriet Potter sniffled and shook her head at her Uncle Ron. "No," the redhead girl hiccupped, "they were telling a story about a ghoul being in the attic and I-I went to s-see if it was t-there, but the d-door got locked and—"

"It was either Freddie and Louis or Riley who locked her up there," Ginny interrupted her granddaughter as she aimed a frown at her brother George.

"Oi," George frowned back, "why does it always have to be my kid? And Riley wouldn't lock Harry up there, she's the only one the girl likes."

Ron nodded as he filled his plate with seconds of dessert, "that's true. Riley would even lock _me _up in an attic if I talked to her"

"—Anyone in their right mind would lock you up if you talked to them, Weasley," and not that far from the knitted group of old friends, Draco Malfoy stopped his drinking of Firewhiskey as he looked at his old, redheaded nemesis. "Mind you, half of us have developed a drinking problem after knowing you for this long."

And right before the two men could start bickering like old school students, Harry squeezed his granddaughter's little hand. "Harriet, sweetheart, why did you even want to see the ghoul upstairs?"

"There's one, then?" Harriet replied instead, her great brown eyes looking curious and eager for adventure. (Despite the mishap of being locked in a spider web-filled room for too long.)

"There used to be one," Harry said to the girl, giving her a fleeting nod. "But it's long gone now, dear."

Harriet frowned a little. "Oh," she said in a tone that sounded like it was splattered with disappointment.

For a little fragment of a quick second, Ginny and Harry locked eyes and they smiled at each other for another rapid second as they recognized that expression on their granddaughter's face. It was the same glitter of adventure and search for a thrill that seemed to have lived inside Harry and Ginny when they were young; that thing they had in common. (Even when sometimes Harry didn't look for it.) It was like a Potter-genetic inheritance. James Potter had it, then Harry had it like an on-and-off switch, then James Sirius inherited, Al had small doses, Lily had too much, and most of his grandchildren had it now.

"So, Granddad, why was it up there?" Harriet's dulcet voice distracted Mister and Mrs. Potter from their reminiscing. "Daddy told me great-Grandmum Molly had it there to punish the children when they didn't behave or eat their vegetables."

"…James would actually believe that," Ginny said fleetingly about her eldest son as she took her seat on the table again; smiling dimly at Hermione who nodded sympathetically with her. "I told him that when he was five. He's eaten all his broccoli since."

With a huff of a chuckle, Harry looked at Harriet smoothly. "It's a long story—"

"Can I hear it?" Harriet interrupted her grandfather, bright eyes lighting up again.

"—Hear what?" Coming from behind the little redhead girl, an almost-exact copy of her walked up munching on an apple loudly.

"Granddad Harry said there _was _a ghoul up there, Evan," Harriet informed her twin-brother.

Evan rolled his matching brown eyes at his twin. "That's not true, Harry. I've been in the attic. There's nothing but old Christmas sweaters and pots." But as his sister narrowed her eyes determinedly, Evan blinked up at his grandfather. "Right, Granddad?"

Harry looked a little hesitant, glancing up the faces of those he has known since he was a child. "Erm…" he cleared his throat, "it's really a long story, kids." The two eight year-olds shrugged at the same time. "Maybe one day when you're older to know—"

"We're old enough," Evan and Harriet said in unison.

Smiling at those little kids, with their eyes that shone the lightest of brown—the exact color and shape that they inherited from Ginny, Harry sighed gently. "Well, what do you two know about the history of our family?"

"—Daddy says we're famous!"

Harry chuckled again, shaking his head a little as Ginny rolled her eyes at the things her son told her grandchildren. "Well, long ago—"

"_Too _long ago," Hermione was heard whispering.

"There was a war between good wizards and bad wizards," Harry continued, throwing his best friend a sympathetic gaze. "There was a really dark wizard named Tom Riddle—"

"Voldemort," someone interrupted Harry again; Draco. "He called himself Lord Voldemort."

Harry nodded once, agreeing to that odd statement from his old enemy. "Voldemort believed that everyone who was not a pureblood—that people who didn't come from complete magical families, or who didn't have at least two magical parents were not worthy of magic or to be in the Wizarding world.

"He recruited people with the same ideals. He gathered witches, wizards, and other dark creatures with the idea that he could get rid of all those who were less than pure, those who they all believed didn't deserve a place in our society."

Blinking a little scared and skeptical, Harriet Potter looked at her grandfather with questioning eyes. "…But _why_, Granddad?"

"For power," Harry said to his granddaughter.

"For thinking he was the greatest wizard that had ever existed," Ginny added to her husband's comment. "For fear of death."

Evan raised an eyebrow, looking more interested and curious than his twin-sister was. "How does our family come into this, then?" He asked straightforwardly to both his grandparents; to all the elders listening in. "What did we do to him?"

"We were a group of good looking people," Ron spoke from his chair at the dinner table, "that's what."

Some of the adults laughed, others shook their heads with seriousness on their faces.

"Granddad?" Harriet called, still looking at her grandfather with those questioning, frightened eyes.

And smiling at her, at the beautiful little girl that looked like Ginny had, like Lily had, Harry extended his arms to her and picked her little body off the ground. Placing her carefully on his lap as he still held on to his smile. "…We _loved_, that's what happened." He responded to her, deciding to go against the gore, the tragic-ness, and the complexity of it for her young ears. He decided to go for what was true in the end, what was the ultimate product of that war so long ago.

"But we're missing a lot of family, aren't we, Granddad?" Harriet threw another question out. "Great-Grandmum Molly's always talking about her brothers that aren't here, about Uncle Fred who isn't here either. Or your mummy and dad, Granddad."

"And Teddy's parents," Evan added.

There was a silence now. And almost as if the two eight year-olds questions and words had traveled down a few yards, like the wind sweeping through the trees' leaves, touching everything, everyone's eyes were now upon the Chosen One; their attention now completely on him.

"…Like I said," Harry's voice was a few octaves too low, deep almost, "our family loved and cared for what was right, for each other. We lost a lot of people in the war. Friends and family because they cared enough to build a better world for the people they loved."

Silence was still ringing, but from afar, Harry could see his mother-in-law nod her head slowly at his words; agreeing to what had happened so long ago.

"Everything that we are now is because of them," Harry spoke once more, this time raising his eyes so he could look-on at those looking at him. Long rows of people that were now intertwined into his life, that were family by marriage bonds, by bloodlines, by comradeships. "Look at one another," his voice was still deep, "look around to who is sitting next to you, who you were born into, who you call brother, sister, or cousin…If it wasn't for the fight we all gave for a better world, none of you would be here. None of us would be tied to each other and our family would not exist."

And almost as if he had said it with a voice of command, every person seated on that long dinner table turned to one or another. Every pair of eyes connecting with someone else's; smiles passing through in a wash of realization. Eyes looked at family-friends, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, sisters, brothers—on every person that made up who they were.

And balancing his eight year-old granddaughter—one out of the eight he had never imagined he would get to meet, to see, to have when the war was raging all those years ago—Harry Potter smiled at all of the people present; his heart filled with gratitude. "We fight, we yell, we push, we kick, we laugh, we smile, we play pranks, but we're always going to have one another."

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><p><strong>AN: I've really liked the outcome of this chapter. Not too long, but .<strong>

**Alright, well, there's ONE more chapter left to this. Hope you guys enjoy it before the end comes. (:**


	13. Love On Top

**Hometown Glory**

**Chapter Twelve: **Love On Top

"_The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together."_—_ Erma Bombeck_

She was standing in the middle of that old spiraling staircase, her pastel-green dress hugging her body perfectly; looking ravishing like people were so used to seeing her. But just like most people were used to only seeing the outside—her pale face, rosy cheeks, dark, cascading black hair, eyes big and bright, the color of the deepest emeralds—so perfect and beautiful, nobody ever saw what was in the inside. No one saw that thundering mess going on internally most of the time.

It was needless to say that she was freaking out. She had been standing there for a few minutes, watching people come in and out of the Burrow's backdoor; person after person stampeding with a rush following their shadows. But no, not her. Not Bliss Potter. The girl just remained frozen onto that creaky step, honestly hoping she'd fade into the wall.

But with no such luck as a group of people came through the backdoor—Lynx Malfoy and his new-found girlfriend, Raven Thomas, walking hand in hand; the boy telling Andre Zabini and Neo Potter, his second-cousins, not to lose hope, they'll one day find love—dark eyes found her on that step; noticing her.

She felt even more frozen, still, and rigid as she made the mistake of allowing those coal-colored eyes to penetrate through her green ones. She gulped, her finger tips suddenly a little numb as she felt like the walls of the Burrow about to cave in on her.

Silence rung between both as more people walked in and out of the backdoor; becoming almost like a blur of bodies as they focused on each other. Tension running high, tension running thick like a rope tying around both of them; connecting them and tethering them.

And as three, four, five, six long seconds passed, both continued not to say anything as Glorie and Angelique Lupin appeared into the living room; the same colored pastel-green dress on their bodies as they fought.

"Come on, Angelique," Glorie whined like she was the youngest of the two. "Why won't you tell me? We're sisters. That's what we do, don't we? Don't we got to share secrets and all that rubbish?"

Angelique rolled her eyes at her older sister, snorting. "I don't think so, Glorie. I would _never _tell you anything, even if the Ministry was looking for me and I needed a hide-out. You're a blabber-mouth and I hate you."

Glorie stopped her following after her sister, pausing for a little bit.

"Well, it's true," Angelique retorted, also stopping as she no longer heard Glorie's footsteps after her. Another long second past, but this time including both Lupin sisters.

"Ouch," Glorie mumbled in a hurt voice. "After everything you've done to me, Angelique, you still think I wouldn't be happy over something that makes _you _happy? I'm not like you, alright. I don't only just think about myself."

Angelique rolled her eyes—her orbs changing from her constant purple shade to an orange.

"Quiet now, aren't you?" Glorie retaliated. "I mean, you've stolen my diary, made me look like a fool in front of everyone, you don't give me the respect an older sister should have, you treat me like—"

"You do the same thing to me!" Angelique hissed back.

"Because we're sisters!" Glorie raised her voice too. "Obviously! That's what they do! And, mind you, I just want to be happy for you because it's not every day that someone finds interest in a self-altering freak with devil-eyes, but hey! That's just me wanting to be nice! But when dad asks about your little fits of giggles again and you want him off your case then—"

"Shut up! Shut up!" Angelique snapped at her blonde sister. "Alright, Glorie. Okay. Just…_silence_." She huffed, shaking her head and fluffing her dress. "I fancy Zacharias Wood, alright. And he likes me too. There. Satisfied?"

And just as the youngest of the Lupin girls waited for her sister to throw her an insulting remark, all she got was a high-pitched scream that sounded like a squeal of excitement mixed with a squeak of outrage.

"Tell me _everything_!" Glorie demanded. "When did this happen?"

Rolling her eyes back to her usual shade of purple, Angelique headed towards the backdoor once more.

"Come on, Ange! I mean, how do you know he's not just playing you? He _is _older, you know." There was another squeal as Glorie followed her sister out. "Merlin, he's older! Did you two have sex already?"

And just as quick as that little break of tension happened, it came back. Back to that person with the coal eyes and that girl with the pastel-green dress and emerald eyes on the staircase.

And right before the moment could go back to be silent, dense, and all that rubbish, Bliss cleared her throat slightly. Finding a little tiny bit of her Gryffindor courage. "…They're in the kitchen," she said low and emotionless.

Looking back at her, Rex Rowle gave a single nod. "Well, then," he cleared his throat too. "It's now or never, right?"

"..Yeah," Bliss said in agreement, walking down the final steps of the staircase as Rex approached her. Meeting her halfway with a palm extended out.

"Now or never, Bliss," Rex repeated, taking her hand and their fingers twining together.

And before Bliss could lose that courage, before she could run back up that staircase and hide forever, she took the first step and directed her and Rex Rowle to the kitchen of the Burrow.

And as they entered, hand in hand, there on the table, Emily and James Sirius Potter looked up in time to see their eldest daughter enter.

Smiling a glittering smile, that was rumored she passed on to Bliss, Emily's face lit up with happiness at her daughter and Rex. Nodding once at them, acknowledging them like a supportive mother does to whatever their child decides to partake in.

"No, no—" James was just about getting up his seat when his wife put a pressuring hand on his shoulder, pushing him back down on the chair.

"James," Emily said to her husband, looking down at him from her stance next to him. "This is your daughter's choice, alright. It's about time you stop playing the jealous, overbearing father and let her move on with her life. She loves him, he loves her. End of story."

James frowned. "But he's no good for her, Em!" He sent daggers at the two teenagers. "He's too…He's no good!"

Rex tightened his lips into a line, Bliss squeezed his hand.

"That's what they said about us, remember?" Emily kept her firm gaze on her husband. "I was no good for you, James. I was too…unstable and insane. But you loved me, and you didn't care what was wrong with me or what the world had to say."

James softened his frown—but still held on to most of it.

"We've been married for more than seventeen years, James," Emily continued. "We're true love. Why are you going to get in the way of that for Bliss and Rex?"

"But, Em," James began again, complaining and sounding immature as always. "I mean, come on. She's my little girl and that boy's—" But at his wife's frown, at Bliss and Rex's firm stance, James banged his head against the table and groaned loudly. "_Fine_!"

And just like that, as simple as standing up for what she believed in, standing up for what she loved, Bliss actually pulled on a true smile that lit up the emerald in her eyes.

**X**

It was the way it had been the first time—with the way loved flowed in and out like the mid-spring breeze. There was everlasting vegetation and nature everywhere: trees, bushes, flowers, birds, butterflies, and little fireflies present. The sun was out, far away in the corner of the baby-blue sky that was adorned with the perfect amount of cotton-like clouds. White chairs with pastel-green ribbons were all aligned row after row after row. Holding up people that were present once more or for the first time ever to witness Rose and Scorpius Malfoy's love for one another.

He was sitting at the second row, in the last chair in the corner, hand held tightly with that redhead that's been in his dreams longer than he could remember. But even as he sat there, eyes focused on his niece and Scorpius recite their vows once more, their bonds of marriage once more to one another, Harry could see everything else around him.

In the third row of the opposite section, he saw James and his wife Emily. Their hands clasped together. And even though there was a scowl on his son's face, looking like he had thrown a tantrum and Emily had subsided it like she's been doing all the years of their relationship, Harry could see the way he leaned into her. Like he was gravitated to her. And that, that was love after years of being together.

And next to them was Orion, Evan, and Harriet—his grandchildren. All three of them perfect in their own way, and imperfect in so many. Harriet, with the way she looked so pleased, eager, curious, the way Lily looked when she was a child, the way Ginny had too. Then there was Orion and Evan, who had inherited the Weasley-men's need of protection over their sisters as they glared towards the canopy where the bride and groom stood. The two brothers, one fifteen and the other eight, watching carefully as Bliss, who was a bridesmaid, sent bashful and flirty looks at Rex Rowle.

Then, on the row up James and his family's was Albus and Nia. His son looking calm, looking relaxed, but his emerald eyes growing with some annoyance and some worry as his wife kept sending death-glares at Ophelia De la Cruz at another row. But even as that little mishap of years past the loomed over them like a scar that never quite faded from their skin, Harry could still clearly see the way Al was attached to Nia; the way he was tethered to her too. And even though it was Nia who still held on to Al's greatest betrayal, she was the one that would blink up to his face; gazing at him with that look of lovestruck teenager that never seems to diminish.

And loyally next to their dysfunctional parents, Neo and Alexa Potter sat perfectly on their chairs. Smiling at one another time to time, at the same moment like the identical twins they were.

And huffing a little chuckle to that, Harry looked a little over his shoulder to gaze at his once little girl, at Lily Luna and her husband Liam. And as he quickly glanced at her, sitting there, black dress, hair like long strands of fire glittering in the sun, brown eyes, and perfectly composed and happy face, Harry knew that hectic bomb his daughter was and is. But it seemed with all the equal amount of Potter and Weasley genetics the now woman has in her, Harry also knew that it was all Liam Greengrass' effort and love that managed to neutralize all those hectic emotions. And that both of them, one fire and one ice, complete each other. And that in all the years Lily has been in love with Liam, he has never had to worry about her.

Next to the Greengrass couple, were Harry's other set of grandchildren: Logan and Violet. The fifteen year-old boy exactly like his father. Calm, quiet, loyal, and brave. And Violet, with those same brown eyes and red hair, an almost exact version of her mother and grandmother.

As he shifted in his seat, barely hearing the words spoken by the Minister, Harry could still see the others; the rest of the Third and Fourth generation of his family. He could see Dominique and Derrick Rowle, both cool and composed like their personalities. Like the shades of vibrant, flaming colors that they were together. He could see Dustin and Devon, completing the Rowle family with their red hair and chins raised up high. But two different gazes on their faces. Dustin's, emerald and looking more responsible than Harry had ever seen him. And Devon's, dark and doe-like, like they held a secret; like they held a fleck of innocence.

Then there was Freddie and Evanna, both unexpected and odd. His nephew, even at such an older age, still gleeful, still smooth, still the shine of a comedian in his eyes that he had inherited from George and Fred Weasley. And Evanna with her strict and poised eyes, exactly the ones that came from a once Death Eater. But even in their little odd relationship, next to them sat their three children. The twins, Rory and Riley, and Theodore. All three of them different from one another. Rory, with her flaming attitude and uncontrolled rage; Rory, with her sweet face, sweet tone, sweet words, and sweet personality; Theo, with his aloof everything.

Louis and Coral Weasley—Merlin, with their cocky and almighty personalities radiating out like rays of light. Both exactly the same; both vain, both superficial, both conceited, and both the loyalist of people. And in the spirit of that known beauty that ran in their household, was Maxim and Kendra. Max with his cocky eyes, with his glint of ferocious love and loyalty. Kendra with her beautiful complexion, red hair like blood, blue eyes like the sky, but with a shyness that contradicts her from her brother and her parents. (And sitting next to her, quiet as a mouse, with random eye interactions, sat Abel Greengrass. Looking completely smitten with Kendra.)

And taking up most of the fourth row, were Teddy and Victoire. Those two still looking like they belonged together and glued to the hip like when they were kids. Both still so in love, so used to one another, still connected to the other's breath and soul. And like that love that was reproduced and expanded, Glorie and Angelique sat next to their parents like drops of water and oil. Glorie, blonde, beautiful, poised, elegant-looking, and completely wrapped in an aura of carefree-ness that she certainly inherited from the deceased Tonks. Then there was Angelique, who'd inherited Teddy and Tonks' metamorphmagus genes, with her constant smirk on her face, some sort of knowledge glittering in her purple eyes.

Sitting loyally next to Teddy and Victoire, next to those two that she'd grown up with and lived so many adventures with, who she owed so much to, was Molly Weasley II. Looking proud, independent, glowing, and content as she flickered her eyes to the side and smiled hugely at her daughter; at Sidney. And as she returned her mother's smile, clasping her hand with hers, Harry could see that Sidney, with her need to seclude herself and all, was perhaps the truest Weasley in the newest generation.

"—_Oi_," pulling him away from the guest, Harry was elbowed on the ribs. "Stop looking around, Harry, and pay attention. Your niece is getting re-bonded, don't be a prat."

"Yeah, mate. That only happens once in a lifetime. Oh, wait." Turning from his seat in the first row, rolling his eyes in annoyance, Ron snorted at Harry and Ginny's direction. "Well, at least this time I didn't have to pay for anything, you know."

Frowning at her brother, Ginny said, "you didn't pay for anything in the first wedding either, Ron. Narcissa handled everything."

"We were having economic problems that year, alright, Ginny." Ron retorted back. "And besides, it's the least those Malfoys could do for my Rosie."

"Well, maybe if you hadn't bet half of your lifesavings on that year's Quidditch World Cup, you could've spared yourself from Malfoy's endless gloating about still being richer than you."

"Oi! That was not my fault, alright. I was _assured _that the Chudley Cannons would win the cup!"

And with the very clear and echoed shouting Ron was doing, turning away with a huff from the canopy, Hermione reached over and pulled on her husband's ear. "Ronald, your daughter's getting re-bonded, for goodness sake." She pulled harder as she made him sit correctly on his chair.

"But Ginny's—"

Hermione smacked Ron on the shoulder, shushing him. "…Maybe next time you'll think twice about trusting anything Trelawney has to say. Idiot."

Sending her grandmother a nod of approval, Athena proceeded to smack that back of her brother's head as he was looking behind his shoulder; gazing like a puppy dog at Raven Thomas in the rows behind.

"…Just like bloody Granger," Harry heard Draco murmur to his wife; shaking his head in disapproval as the Minister lifted his hands at the guests.

"And now," the Minister said loudly; silencing everything but the humming of birds in the sky, "like the two compatible souls that they are, like the two individual halves that have learned the sacred value of marriage, that know of the struggle and the joy of being tied together already, I give you Rose and Scorpius Malfoy! A love that still goes on and on, strong like flames."

As a thundering clap that ran through the Burrow's garden—some loud cheers, some whistles, some cries of relief that this process was now over with—Harry stood along with Ginny. Both of them grinning and clapping along with their family, with their friends.

And as happiness and love still continued to ring and pour all around, Harry could see the entire garden: everyone from Mister and Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Fleur, Hermione and Ron, Draco and Astoria, Al and Nia, Dominique and Derrick, Rose and Scorpius, and even the newest generation among them. Looking at all of them, some the odd ones in, some dysfunctional as they come, others the best you'll ever get the pleasure of meeting, Harry knew this is how their family worked. And Scorpius and Rose's love proved that.

They were all things that didn't match, things that didn't go, that weren't right in the surface. But when stripped away from all those things that makes them all want to avoid each other, to be far from one another as possible, all you see is what's on the inside. Which is all pure, all bones, all blood—it was all blood ties that linked them together. All family and love, to its fullest glory.

_~The End~_

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><p><strong>AN:...AND FINALLY!<strong>

**Well, my beautiful readers, this s it. We have arrived to the final and last chapter of all these sequels that we've created.**

**Whew. **

**I just, firstly, want to thank all of you for sticking around after three stories. (Some crappier than the next, haha.) You are all so amazing and so supportive. Thanks a billion for every review and every time you skipped through a chapter. You guys are the best.**

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